U.S. Marines still hunting for missing $80 million F-35 fighter jet after ‘mishap’
Pilot safely ejects, but there’s no sign the aircraft crashed
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An F-35C Lightning II jet flies over Eglin Air Force Base, Florida,, Feb. 1, 2019. (Photo by Navy Chief Petty Officer Shannon E. Renfroe)
By Micaela Burrow
Daily Caller News Foundation
The U.S. military is on the hunt for an F-35 fighter jet that went missing near North Charleston after its pilot ejected, but there is no sign that the jet crashed, officials said, according to local outlet News19.
A “mishap” occurred around 2 p.m. on Sunday that involved two Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II jets, forcing one pilot to eject after the pilot switched on an unspecified autopilot system, officials said, News19 reported. Officials at Joint Base Charleston, however, could not locate the roughly $80 million advanced fighter and have asked the public to provide any information that might help recovery teams find the errant jet, according to a statement.
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“Emergency response teams are still trying to locate the F-35. The public is asked to cooperate with military and civilian authorities as the effort continues,” Joint Base Charleston said in the statement Sunday night.