HAVELOCK, N.C. — A Marine fighter jet crashed today about a mile short of a runway at an eastern North Carolina air base, killing the pilot, a Marine Corps spokesman said.

The single-seat plane was returning to the base after a training flight when it crashed about 12:30 p.m. in an unpopulated area, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point spokesman Mike Barton said. No one else was hurt, Barton said.

Local authorities say the crash, about a mile east of the base off N.C. Highway 101, did not affect the few homes in the area.

The pilot's identity was being withheld until next-of-kin was notified and an investigation had begun, Barton said. The AV-8B Harrier jet was assigned to Marine Attack Training Squadron 203.