WASHINGTON: Debris from a stealth jet that went missing after the pilot ejected has been found, the US military said on Monday (Sep 18), after a day in which failure to track the US$80 million aircraft drew amazement and ridicule in equal measure.
The debris field from the F-35 was found in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, two hours north-east of Joint Base Charleston (JBC), officials said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Members of the community should avoid the area as the recovery team secures the debris field,” the statement read.
When the jet disappeared over South Carolina on Sunday, JBC issued a plaintive call on social media asking for anyone who had information about it to call in.
Flight tracking sites showed several search aircraft focused on a wooded and farmland area near Stuckey, which is in Williamsburg County, about 120km north of Charleston, late Monday afternoon.
The F-35 Lightning II jet is coveted by US allies around the world, especially Ukraine, with its distinctive shape and features that shield it from radar detection.
The pilot ejected for unknown reasons and parachuted safely into a North Charleston neighbourhood on Sunday – leaving the jet flying in what some called a “zombie state”.
In 1989 the pilot of a malfunctioning Soviet MiG-23 ejected over Poland and the jet continued to fly on autopilot until it crashed in Kortrijk, Belgium, more than 900km away.
The disappearance of a highly advanced aircraft sparked incredulous comments online.
“How in the hell do you lose an F-35? How is there not a tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?” said Nancy Mace, a member of Congress representing the Charleston area.
Source: CNA
