An F/A-18 Hornet, similar to the one shown here in 2022, crashed in a rural area near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California on Aug. 24, 2023. (Zachary Larsen/Marine Corps)

WASHINGTON — A Marine Corps pilot who crashed his plane Thursday night near an airfield in Southern California has been found dead, service officials said Friday.

The service said the pilot crashed his F/A-18 Hornet just before midnight on Thursday in the area of Interstate 15 near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, which is located about 10 miles northeast of downtown San Diego.

“Search and rescue recovered the Marine Corps pilot who has been confirmed deceased at the site,” the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a statement. “The pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft.”

The Marine Corps said the fighter jet was an F/A-18D Hornet that belonged to service’s All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 — which is responsible for “supporting arms coordination, conducting multi-sensor imagery, and destroying surface targets” under all weather conditions, according to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing website.

The Marine Corps did not immediately identify the pilot or specify what he was doing at the time of the crash. The service is investigating the incident.

“With a heavy heart, our condolences go to the Marine’s family during this time,” the 2nd Wing said.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar used to be the home of the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School and was made famous by the 1986 film “Top Gun.” It was transferred to the Marine Corps in the 1990s.

The F/A-18 Hornet, one of the military’s fourth-generation fighter jets, entered service in the early 1980s and is a multirole combat fighter — meaning it can perform various functions, such as air combat maneuvering, reconnaissance and aerial support.