F-35B havariet i USA - Flyet er fremdeles ikke lokalisert - Stars & Stripes

 

F-35 still missing in South Carolina after pilot ejects safely 

By 

COREY DICKSTEIN

STARS AND STRIPES • September 18, 2023

---

 

A Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II performs aerial maneuvers Aug. 21, 2023, during an airshow practice at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C. (Kyle Baskin/U.S. Marine Corps)

Military officials in South Carolina were searching for a missing Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet after its pilot ejected near Charleston on Sunday afternoon.

The search for the missing jet from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., was continuing Monday morning, a Marine spokesman said. MCAS Beaufort Marines and personnel from Joint Base Charleston were conducting the search, which was focused on two lakes in the city of North Charleston, the Corps said.

The pilot safely ejected about 2 p.m. local time from the jet after experiencing “a mishap” in the air, according to a Joint Base Charleston statement. Military officials declined Monday to provide further information about the cause of the incident and they said it was under investigation.

The pilot, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, was transferred to a hospital where he was in stable condition after he ejected over a neighborhood in North Charleston, according to the Joint Base Charleston statement. Charleston is about 70 miles northeast of MCAS Beaufort.

The incident occurred during a routine training flight from MCAS Beaufort, Marine officials said. A second F-35B flying with the now-missing fighter jet landed safely at Joint Base Charleston during the incident.

The ongoing search is focused on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, both north of Joint Base Charleston, installation officials said. The decision to focus in those areas is “based on the jet’s last-known position,” the officials said.

Military officials were asking for the public’s help in locating the jet. Anyone with information about the jet’s location is asked to call the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs Office at 252-466-3827.