Search for F-35B Lightning II fighter jet focused on two lakes after Marine Corps pilot ejected over North Charleston for unknown reason
US military officials have appealed to the public for help to find a fighter jet after losing track of it somewhere over South Carolina when the pilot ejected.
A Marine Corps pilot safely escaped the F-35B Lightning II jet over North Charleston on Sunday afternoon after a “mishap”, military officials said, and the search for his missing aircraft was now focused on two lakes north of North Charleston.
The pilot parachuted safely into North Charleston at about 2pm and was taken to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition, said Maj Melanie Salinas. The pilot’s name has not been released.
Based on the missing plane’s location and trajectory, the search for the F-35 Lightning II jet was focused on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, said Senior Master Sergeant Heather Stanton at Joint Base Charleston. Both lakes are north of North Charleston.
Local congresswoman Nancy Mace said: “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?”
A South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter joined the search for the F-35 after some bad weather cleared in the area, Stanton said.
Officials are still investigating why the pilot ejected, authorities said.
The pilot of a second F-35 returned safely to Joint Base Charleston, Salinas said.
The planes and pilots were with the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 based in Beaufort, not far from South Carolina’s Atlantic coast.
Local congresswoman Nancy Mace said: “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?”
No expert, but I’d think tracking devices on military equipment would be a pretty bad idea… especially if you can’t guarantee who else can pick up those signals.
There are EPIRBs that have impact switches and will activate in the event of a crash, but aren’t meant to work underwater.
Big passenger jets have an underwater beacon of some type.
The tracking device should be activated by remote encrypted signal. Then the F35 can passively listen before activating. Basically, the military needs to wander around the parking lot pressing their fob until the jet beeps its horn.
I’m confused why they don’t know why the pilot ejected, can’t they ask him, is he unconscious, does the plane not send back telemetry data?
Also it’s in the lake, it’s obviously in the lake because it was anywhere else would be fireball. So what the hell is the public going to do, turn up with a massive metal detector?
There are so many questions this story raises and none of them are answered.
Planes can and often do land themselves without pilots on board. It’s not a graceful setdown, but it’s far from guaranteed to be a fireball. They just gradually lose altitude until they reach the ground, which if it is sufficiently flat, they then scuff across until they come to a stop.
Certified F-35 moment
