On September 17, an advanced Marine Corps F-35B fighter aircraft in the United States became unaccounted for following an incident that prompted the pilot to eject near the Charleston area of South Carolina, according to the military service.
The pilot received medical treatment at a local medical center, but as of Sunday evening, the aircraft itself, with an approximate unit cost of $90 million, remained unlocated, as confirmed by a spokesperson from Joint Base Charleston.
Initial reports suggested the possibility that the fighter jet might have continued flying in the minutes immediately following the pilot’s ejection. The current status of the fighter jet, whether it is still airborne or has experienced a tragic crash, remains uncertain.
“Emergency response teams are actively engaged in efforts to locate the aircraft,” as stated by Senior Master Sgt. Heather Stanton, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The fighter jet was assigned to a Marine Corps training squadron. Joint Base Charleston issued a communication on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, requesting the public to contact the base if they came across the missing aircraft.
The message also conveyed that, considering the aircraft’s last-known position and in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), their focus was directed north of JB Charleston, particularly around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion.
The Marine Corps indicated that it was in the process of gathering additional information regarding the incident and would be initiating an investigation into the matter.
Further updates on this situation are expected to follow in due course.
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