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The F-35 stealth fighter jet is known as a sophisticated and expensive fighter fleet. Photo/Reuters
WASHINGTON – The United States (US) military said they finally found the wreckage of a missing F-35 fighter jet a day after asking the public for help.
The expensive and sophisticated fighter plane disappeared after a pilot ejected from the plane for unknown reasons.
Wreckage from the F-35B Lightning II jet lost on Sunday (17/9/2023) was found on Monday (18/9/2023) in Williamsburg County, South Carolina. This was confirmed by Marine Corps Joint Base Charleston.
“Personnel from Joint Base Charleston and @MCASBeaufortSC, in close coordination with local authorities, have located debris in Williamsburg County. “The wreckage was found two hours northeast of JB Charleston,” said a statement from Marine Corps Joint Base Charleston, reported by Al Jazeera.
They also thanked local, county and state officials for their help in the hunt for the missing stealth fighter. The wreckage was located about two hours northeast of the Marine base and local residents were asked to stay away from the site.
“Members of the public should avoid the area as recovery teams secure piles of rubble. “We transferred incident command to the USMC (US Marine Corps) tonight, as they begin the recovery process,” Marine Corps Base Charleston said in a statement.
Authorities have been searching for the jet since the pilot, whose name has not been released, parachuted to safety in a North Charleston neighborhood around 2 p.m. on Sunday and the plane continued to fly in what some are calling a “zombie state.”
US military officials then put out an appeal in an online post asking for the public’s help in finding the plane, which cost about $80 million. The request sparked many jokes and memes on social media from people who couldn’t believe that the US military could lose such an advanced fighter aircraft.
All Marine Corps aviation units were also ordered Monday to cease operations for two days.
Gen. Eric Smith, acting commandant of the Marine Corps, ordered a suspension of flights during which commanders will reinforce safe aviation policies, practices and procedures with their Marines.
