UPDATED 12:56 p.m.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military said on Monday it was still searching for an F-35 fighter jet after a mishap on Sunday near an air base in South Carolina and has asked for the public’s help locating it.
The pilot of the F-35B Lightning II jet ejected safely from the aircraft, according to a statement from Joint Base Charleston.
“If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600,” the base said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The fighter jet’s main advantages, according to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, are that it is nearly impossible to track with radar and is packed with advanced sensors and other gear.
Based on the jet’s last known position, the base said search efforts were focused north of the base around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. That could suggest the plane may have crashed in water, which would make it difficult to locate.
The FAA referred queries on the issue to the U.S. military.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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CHARLESTON, SC – The military is searching for an F-35 fighter jet near Charleston, South Carolina, after its pilot ejected Sunday afternoon.
Fox News says the pilot ejected safely from the jet after a “mishap”, and was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Emergency crews are actively searching for the aircraft, an F-35B Lightning II jet.
The jet’s last known position was near Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, northwest of Charleston, and the public is being asked to help in finding it.
The jet belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, a unit that trains pilots to meet annual training requirements, according to the unit’s website.
The F-35 jets are manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and cost roughly $80 million each.
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