A fighter jet crashed and erupted into flames at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California on Friday, sending smoke billowing into the sky that could be seen from miles away. The single-seat F-35B Lightning II aircraft from Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, went down short of the runway just before 10 a.m. PT. "F-35 short final crash," the Miramar air traffic control tower told firefighters in audio recorded by LiveATC.net. Military plane crashes are typically investigated by the military as opposed to civilian crashes which are investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. About 15,000 service members from all branches of the military are based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, located in San Diego.