The recent incident involving the crash of an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter in South Carolina has raised a lot of questions about the circumstances surrounding the pilot's ejection and the factors that caused the $100 million warplane to fly for 60 miles without a pilot before the crash. Here is everything we know about the modern warplane and the recent incident:
What happened?
A U.S. Marine Corps pilot was flying a single F-35B fighter plane on Sunday when a malfunction forced the pilot to start an evacuation. The information was provided by a Marine Corps official who asked to remain anonymous because he did not have permission to talk in public, AP reported. The pilot was forced to parachute into a backyard since the aircraft was flying at a height of around 1,000 feet and was less than a mile north of Charleston International Airport, which is located in a populated area.
The F-35 used by the Marine Corps can take off and land like a helicopter, which makes it possible to use amphibious assault ships. This distinguishes it from the Air Force and Navy variants.
What caused the F-35 to disappear?
At this moment, there is no information available about the circumstances of the aircraft's disappearance. North of Savannah, Georgia, and in South Carolina at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the F-35 took off. The plane was on autopilot when the pilot started the ejection, a Joint Base Charleston spokeswoman said.
Has the F-35 that went missing been found?
Affirmative. Remains of the aircraft were discovered to the north of Joint Base Charleston, a building used for military operations and as a base for the Air Force and Navy. This installation also houses troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines.
Debris found
In South Carolina, north of where the pilot safely evacuated and deployed a parachute, debris from a missing F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter aircraft has been found. Nevertheless, as the situation is being investigated, there are still many unknowns. The U.S. Marine Corps has so far held back on providing significant information about the disappearance and subsequent crash of the noticeably expensive aircraft.
The most modern fighter jet in the United States arsenal is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter. The Defence Department anticipates that these fighters will serve as the primary fighter aircraft for the United States and numerous allies for many years to come, with over 972 already produced and plans to produce over 3,500 globally. This is similar to the function that the F-16 Flying Falcon was initially intended to carry out many years ago.
