A widespread search is underway near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina for a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet that went missing on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred following a reported ‘mishap’ that caused the pilot to eject from the aircraft.

According to officials from Joint Base Charleston, the F-35B jet had taken off from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort on a routine training mission. At around 2:30 pm local time, the pilot was forced to eject around 30 miles northwest of Charleston due to unknown circumstances. The pilot safely ejected and was transported to a nearby medical center in stable condition.

Jet Presumed Crashed After Losing Transponder Signal

Immediately after the pilot’s evacuation, the $100 million jet is believed to have continued flying on autopilot mode before presumably crashing in a wooded area north of Joint Base Charleston around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. Its last known location was tracked prior to the loss of its transponder signal which enables air traffic control radar detection.


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Extensive Search Efforts Underway, Hampered by Stealth Design

Multiple search and rescue teams comprising personnel from Joint Base Charleston, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, state and local agencies have been deployed to comb the swampy, alligator-infested lake region using boats and helicopters in an attempt to locate the downed jet. However, search efforts are being hampered by the F-35B’s stealth design which makes the aircraft harder to detect via standard equipment.

The F-35B is the Marine Corps variant of the most expensive weapons system ever built. It combines advanced stealth capabilities with supersonic speed, ultra-sensitive sensors and complex data fusion technology. Aviation experts say the top-secret composites in its structural design absorb radio waves thereby reducing radar signature and making the plane harder to track from ground control systems.


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Military Grounds All F-35s Pending Crash Investigation

In a statement, Joint Base Charleston spokesperson Jeremy Huggins said, “The aircraft is stealth, so it has different coatings and different designs that make it more difficult than a normal aircraft to detect. That’s why we put out the public request for help.”

The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have all grounded their F-35 fleets pending conclusion of inspection efforts to rule out any common underlying issues that may have contributed to this first-ever in-flight emergency ejection incident involving an F-35. The crash investigation remains ongoing.

Public Assistance Requested in Locating Downed Jet

Military officials have requested citizens who may have any information related to the missing jet’s location to contact the Base Defense Operations Center hotline immediately at 843-963-3600.


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