The United States military was forced to ask for help from the public to find a missing F-35 fighter jet after an accident that forced the pilot to eject. Two days later, on September 19, the wreckage was found
On September 19, the Charleston Air Force Base press service reported that they had discovered the location of the wreckage.
“Personnel from Joint Base Charleston and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort worked in close coordination with local authorities to locate the wreckage. The wreckage was discovered two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston,” the statement said.
They added that teams from Charleston Air Force Base, Beaufort Air Force Base’s 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the Navy’s Southeast Region, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Civil Air Patrol, and local, county, and state law enforcement agencies worked together to find the fighter jet. The F-35 Lightning aircraft was searched for throughout South Carolina.
The Guardian reported on the downing of the fighter jet.
On the eve of September 18, a Marine Corps pilot successfully bailed out of an F-35B Lightning II aircraft over North Charleston after a so-called crash. According to the U.S. military, the fighter jet could have gone down near two lakes north of the city.
The reasons why the pilot had to eject are still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. He was hospitalized in a medical facility.
The pilot, who was flying another F-35, returned safely to Joint Base Charleston. Both aircraft and pilots belonged to the 501st Marine Corps Fighter Training Squadron, based in Beaufort, near the Atlantic coast of South Carolina.
This event angered local congresswoman Nancy Mace.
“How the hell can you lose an F-35? Why is there no tracking device, and we are asking the public to find the plane and hand it over?” she said.
The F-35 Lightning is a fifth-generation multirole fighter-bomber. He is known for his invisibility. The United States sells these aircraft only to its closest allies, which include Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
