Following the disappearance of an F-35 fighter jet in the South Carolina sky, authorities have located its debris field and initiated a thorough investigation into the incident that led to the pilot's ejection, as confirmed by both the US Marine Corps and a knowledgeable defense official.
The pilot executed an emergency ejection near Charleston on Sunday and was subsequently transported to a local medical facility in stable condition, as reported by Joint Base Charleston. However, the fighter jet's whereabouts remained unknown.
After an extensive, collaborative search effort involving multiple agencies on the ground and in the air, the debris field of the F-35B Lightning II jet was located approximately two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston on Monday.
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35B Lightning II, describes it as "the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter jet in the world." The cost of this advanced aircraft is estimated to be around $100 million, according to Russell Goemaere, a spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Program Office. Notably, the entire F-35 program is projected to incur a total cost of $1.7 trillion over the plane's lifetime.
As of now, the circumstances prompting the pilot's ejection on Sunday remain unclear. The Marines released a statement on Monday, indicating, "The mishap is currently under investigation, and we are unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process."
Before the debris field was located, the military issued an unusual request to the public for assistance in locating the F-35 jet. The last known position of the aircraft was near Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, northwest of the city of Charleston.
Community members are now advised to steer clear of the fighter jet's remains while recovery crews work to secure the debris field in Williamsburg County. Joint Base Charleston communicated this update on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, stating, "We are transferring incident command to the USMC this evening, as they begin the recovery process."