Exclusive: Dramatic recovery operation underway as investigators probe South Carolina F-35 'mishap'
Crews recover debris of missing F-35 fighter jet in South Carolina as investigation into pilot ejection continues Marine Corps halts flight operations
Crews are currently engaged in the retrieval of wreckage from an F-35 fighter jet that disappeared in South Carolina over the weekend. Simultaneously, an investigation is being conducted into the incident that resulted in the pilot being forced to eject. This information has been confirmed by the Marine Corps and a defense official who has knowledge of the ongoing search.
The debris field of the aircraft has been located on Monday, approximately two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston, following a thorough search conducted by multiple agencies both on the ground and in the air. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the jet, describes the F-35B Lightning II as the most technologically advanced and formidable fighter jet worldwide.
The fighter jet had gone missing Sunday after the pilot ejected, and was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition, Joint Base Charleston said.
A United States Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II participated in an aerial display at the Singapore Airshow 2022, held at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore, as seen in this February 2022 photo.
Taxpayers will bear the cost of $1.7 trillion for the F-35 program, the jet that the Marines lost. The military, after discovering a debris field, sought assistance from the public in locating the F-35 jet, stating that its last known location was in the vicinity of Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, northwest of Charleston city.
Community members are requested to refrain from approaching the wreckage of the fighter jets while recovery crews work on securing the debris field in Williamsburg County.
"We will be handing over incident command to the USMC tonight for the commencement of the recovery operation," stated Joint Base Charleston in a post on X, previously recognized as Twitter.
The cause of the pilot ejecting remains unclear.
"The incident is currently being investigated, and to ensure the integrity of the investigation, we are unable to disclose further details," stated the Marines in their Monday announcement.
Marine Corps pauses flight operations
It isnt the first incident involving military aircraft in recent weeks.
The Marine Corps issued a two-day flight operations halt on Monday due to three "Class-A aviation mishaps" occurring within the last six weeks. In a news release, the Marine Corps stated that this suspension is necessary to uphold operational standardization by having combat-ready aircraft and adequately trained pilots and crews.
During the Singapore Airshow 2022 at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore, a captivating aerial display featured a United States Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II in this remarkable February 2022 snapshot.
Suhaimi Abdullah/AP/File
Marine Corps orders pause in flight operations after three recent crashes
Two additional mishaps were not specified in the Marine Corps statement, but in the month of August, two aviation incidents occurred. On August 24, a pilot lost their life as a Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet combat jet crashed close to San Diego. The investigation into the cause of the accident is still ongoing.
Days later, a military exercise in Australia turned tragic when a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crashed, resulting in the loss of three US Marines' lives and leaving five others in critical condition. The investigation into this unfortunate incident is ongoing.
While there is currently no evidence linking these crashes, it is worth noting that all of the incidents have been classified as Class-A mishaps by the Marine Corps. This classification signifies incidents that result in a fatality or cause property damage exceeding $2.5 million.
