Authorities were able to find the debris of a missing F-35 fighter jet hours after its pilot ejected due to a "mishap" Sunday (September 17).
The debris was discovered Monday evening (September 18) northeast of Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, officials said without providing further details.
Crews are now working to recover the fighter jet's debris, according to US defense officials as quoted by CNN.
"Personnel from Joint Base Charleston and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort are responding to a mishap involving an F-35B Lightning II jet from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501 with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing," the base said through a Facebook post.
The base added in a statement that it coordinated with units and leaders from the US Marine Corps (USMC) and the US Navy, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Civil Air Patrol, and local law enforcement across the state, using "both ground and air assets" in the search effort.
Pilot Safely Ejected, Military Officials Say
The base also added that the pilot safely ejected from the fighter plane and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Joint Base Charleston spokesperson Jeremy Huggins said the F-35 was in autopilot mode when the pilot ejected the aircraft, and that authorities believed there was a possibility it could have remained airborne for some time prior to crashing.
However, the FAA did not immediately respond to reporters' requests for comment as the circumstances prompting the pilot to eject were not immediately clear.
Now that I got that out of the way. How in the hell do you lose an F-35?
How is there not a tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) September 18, 2023
Reactions to the Search Efforts
Prior to finding the missing fighter jet, Joint Base Charleston requested locals to assist them in finding the missing F-35.
"The public is asked to cooperate with military and civilian authorities as the effort continues," the base said. "If you have any information that would assist the recovery teams, please call the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs Office."
Aside from public reaction, South Carolina's House Republican Representative Nancy Mace responded on social media, asking how the USMC was able to lose an F-35.
"How is there not a tracking device and we're asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?" she wrote.
About the F-35
The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation single-seat stealth fighter developed by Lockheed Martin in the early 2000s, claiming it to be the "most advanced fighter jet in the world" and the "most lethal, stealthy, and survivable aircraft." It comes with three variations - A, B, and C - as a replacement for the US's fleet of F-16s, Harriers, and FA-18s, respectively.
The F-35 involved in the incident was a B variant, which has short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, especially in aircraft carriers that do not have catapult-assisted take-off and barrier-assisted recovery (CATOBAR) configurations, such as the UK's Queen Elizabeth-class and the Japanese Izumo-class after modifications. Both countries, along with other US allies are intending to purchase, or have already purchased the F-35, primarily as a replacement for the F-16.
In the US armed forces, the F-35B is primarily used by the Marines, while the A variant is used by the Air Force and the C variant by the Navy.
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