US military officials are scrambling to find an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet that disappeared over the skies of South Carolina early on Monday morning, the Charleston Air Force Base base’s X account confirmed.
According to US reports, a “mishap” caused an unnamed Marine Corps pilot to abandon his aircraft over the southeastern state.
The pilot parachuted out and was “ejected safely,” the air base confirmed, asking the public that “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.”
“We’re working with to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon,” it wrote late last night.
The search for the missing aircraft was now focused on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, north of North Charleston, as per the Charleston base.
Based on the jet’s last-known position and in coordination with the FAA, we are focusing our attention north of JB Charleston, around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion.
— Joint Base Charleston (@TeamCharleston) September 17, 2023
How in the hell do you lose an F-35?
“How in the hell do you lose an F-35?,” US Congresswoman Nancy Maye, whose district includes the area searched by law authorities, wrote on X later on Monday morning.
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
“How is there not a tracking device and we are asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?”
This is a developing story.
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