The South Carolina sky was the last voyage of an F-35 fighter jet, now reduced to fragments scattered across a debris field. The incident, designated a “mishap” by military officials, prompted an immediate investigation spearheaded by the US Marine Corps and a defense official privy to the search details.
The event unfolded on a Sunday near Charleston when the pilot of the missing jet was forced to eject mid-flight. He was swiftly transported to a local medical facility in stable condition. His state-of-the-art aircraft, however, disappeared from radar and became the subject of an intense search.
The subsequent discovery on Monday of the jet’s debris field, located about two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston, marked the culmination of an expansive multi-agency search operation conducted via both land and air.
Touted by Lockheed Martin as “the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter jet in the world,” the now-lost F-35B Lightning II jet carries a hefty price tag; approximately $100 million per unit as per figures provided by Russell Goemaere, spokesperson for the F-35 Joint Program Office. The cumulative expenditure for the F-35 program over the aircraft’s lifespan is projected to mount to a staggering $1.7 trillion.
While it remains to be deciphered what conditions necessitated the pilot’s ejection, the military emphasized that the mishap is under rigorous investigation. In an official Monday statement, the Marines urged for patient restraint, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the investigative process.
In a previous unprecedented move, the military had urged public assistance to locate the missing F-35 jet, broadcasting its last known position near Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, in the vicinity northwest of Charleston city.
As per a new appeal, locals are advised to steer clear of the crashed fighter jet’s remains while recovery crews descend upon and secure the debris field in Williamsburg County.
“Incident command will shift to the USMC this evening, marking the commencement of the recovery process,” stated a post by Joint Base Charleston on X, formerly recognized as Twitter.
Tragically, this instance isn’t isolated in recent occurrences of military aircraft accidents. In response to three “Class-A aviation mishaps” within the past six weeks, the Marine Corps called for a temporary two-day halt in flight operations on Monday.
Describing the pause as a necessary measure in maintaining “operational standardization of combat-ready aircraft with well-prepared pilots and crews”, the Marine Corps was, however, reticent about the specifics of the other two mishaps.
Nonetheless, two such incidents from August come into focus. A fatal crash on August 24 involved a Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet combat jet near San Diego. Days after, a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crashed during military exercises in Australia, resulting in the death of three US Marines and serious injuries to five others. Both accidents are still under active investigation.
Although there’s no evidence linking the accidents, the Marine Corps categorizes all as Class-A mishaps, which is defined as incidents leading to a fatality or damages exceeding $2.5 million.
