NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — A debris field has been discovered in rural Williamsburg County, South Carolina, following the crash of a Marine Corps F-35 stealth fighter jet. The pilot safely ejected and parachuted to the ground before the incident occurred.
The Marine Corps’ Joint Base Charleston reported that the debris field was located approximately two hours northeast of the base. As a safety precaution, residents are advised to avoid the area while the recovery team secures it.
In light of this latest crash, which marks the third costly accident in recent weeks, Gen. Eric Smith, acting commandant of the Marine Corps, has ordered a two-day pause in operations. The purpose of this stand-down is to conduct search operations near two South Carolina lakes in an effort to locate the missing FB-35B Lightning II aircraft.
The Marine Corps announcement reveals that this accident has been classified as a “Class-A mishap” — the third incident of its kind in the past six weeks. To be categorized as such, damages must exceed $2.5 million, a Department of Defense aircraft must be destroyed, or there must be loss of life or permanent disability.
During this stand-down period, commanders will focus on reinforcing safe flying policies, practices, and procedures with their respective Marines, as stated in the recent Monday release.
Search Underway for Missing Fighter Jet in South Carolina
The recent announcement revealed a search operation aimed at locating a missing fighter jet in South Carolina. Unfortunately, no specific details were provided regarding the previous incidents. However, it is worth mentioning that in August, a tragic accident resulted in the death of three U.S. Marines when a V-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft crashed during a training exercise in Australia. Additionally, another Marine Corps pilot lost his life when his combat jet crashed near a San Diego base while on a training flight.
Cpl. Christian Cortez, a Marine associated with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, confirmed that the search for the missing fighter jet was still underway on Monday. The exact nature of the incident is currently under investigation.
Senior Master Sgt. Heather Stanton, based at Joint Base Charleston, stated that the search efforts were primarily concentrated around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, both of which are located north of North Charleston. To aid in the search mission, a helicopter from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was deployed after clearing up some inclement weather conditions. Military officials also reached out to the public through online platforms to seek any possible assistance in locating the aircraft.
The pilot of a second F-35 was able to safely return to Joint Base Charleston, providing some relief in an otherwise tense situation.
It’s important to note that the planes and pilots involved in this incident belong to the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, which is part of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing situated near the South Carolina coast.
The F-35 fighter jets are developed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT, +1.37%.