Found it! The F-35B fighter jet, which flew in a "zombie state" before the crash and was sought after by the US military in a post
17th
A US F-35 fighter jet crashes
subsequently
US military posts on social media platforms
Call on the public to provide clues
18th
Reported by American media
Found the wreckage of the crashed fighter jet
![Found it! The F-35B fighter jet, which flew in a "zombie state" before the crash and was sought after by the US military in a post](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/d944a271390012deaee63023589fb825.png)
US military officials said on the 17th that an F-35 fighter jet from the US Marine Corps crashed near North Charleston, South Carolina in the afternoon. The pilot ejected and was taken to the hospital, but the plane disappeared after the crash.
On the 18th, US media reported, citing statements from US military officials, that they discovered the wreckage of a crashed F-35 fighter jet in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, about a two-hour drive northeast of Charleston Joint Base. At present, the specific cause of the accident is still under investigation.
According to reports from US military officers, at the time of the incident, two F-35 fighter jets were undergoing dual formation flight training. Subsequently, one of the fighter jets returned to Charleston Joint Base, while the other crashed and disappeared, and the pilot ejected to escape.
Charleston United Base is calling on the public on social media platforms to provide clues that can help locate the crashed fighter jet.
It is understood that the two fighter jets and their pilots belong to the Marine Corps 501 Fighter Attack Training Squadron, stationed at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station approximately 112 kilometers southwest of Charleston Joint Base.
On September 28, 2018, another F-35B Lightning II fighter jet crashed near Beaufort Air Station, marking the first time an F-35 fighter jet had crashed. The cause of the accident was a ruptured fuel pipe.
The US Marine Corps has experienced consecutive plane crashes in recent weeks, including an F/A-18D Hornet fighter attack aircraft and an MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, resulting in multiple casualties.
[Lost and Found]
![Found it! The F-35B fighter jet, which flew in a "zombie state" before the crash and was sought after by the US military in a post](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/538f30d90b3254a599ca58fcc07dc820.png)
This fighter jet belongs to the US Marine Corps 501 Fighter Attack Training Squadron and took off from the US Charleston Joint Base before the crash. The base announced on the 18th that the wreckage of this fighter jet was discovered in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, located northeast of the base, about a two-hour drive away. The search personnel have started collecting the wreckage.
This fighter jet belongs to the US Marine Corps 501 Fighter Attack Training Squadron and took off from the US Charleston Joint Base before the crash. The base announced on the 18th that the wreckage of this fighter jet was discovered in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, located northeast of the base, about a two-hour drive away. The search personnel have started collecting the wreckage.
Charleston Joint Base announced on social media on the 17th that the F-35B fighter jet had an "unfortunate accident".
The pilot who ejected from the fighter jet safely parachuted into a residential area in North Charleston, South Carolina. According to Agence France Presse, the fighter jet continued to fly in a so-called "zombie state" after the pilot's ejection until it crashed. A spokesperson for Charleston United Base previously told NBC that the fighter jet was in autopilot mode after the pilot ejected the parachute.
At first, search personnel searched around Lake Morentry and Lake Marion north of Charleston, thinking that the fighter jet had crashed into the lake. According to flight tracking website data, on the evening of the 18th, several search planes circled in a forest and farmland area near Starkey Town in Williamsburg County. Starkey Town is over a hundred kilometers away from the city of North Charleston.
![Found it! The F-35B fighter jet, which flew in a "zombie state" before the crash and was sought after by the US military in a post](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/f028eb03dc625e4f9ff57ae570f1dd52.png)
The US Marine Corps stated in a statement on the evening of the 18th that it is investigating the accident and cannot provide further information at this time to avoid affecting the investigation process.
Investigation and Review
This is the third A-level accident of the US Marine Corps in the past 6 weeks. According to the definition of the US military, meeting one of the following conditions constitutes such a serious accident: death or permanent disability of personnel, aircraft damage, and causing at least $2.5 million in damage.
The US Marine Corps stated in a statement on the evening of the 18th that it is investigating the accident and cannot provide further information at this time to avoid affecting the investigation process.
Earlier that day, the US Marine Corps announced that due to this accident, the Marine Corps suspended its flight missions for two days and conducted safety regulations education.
This is the third A-level accident of the US Marine Corps in the past 6 weeks. According to the definition of the US military, meeting one of the following conditions constitutes such a serious accident: death or permanent disability of personnel, aircraft damage, and causing at least $2.5 million in damage.
![Found it! The F-35B fighter jet, which flew in a "zombie state" before the crash and was sought after by the US military in a post](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/2fffff1b30e8183c0e2aa1485ad99226.png)
On August 24th, an F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet crashed near the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in California, USA, killing its pilot. On the 27th, an MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor crashed during a joint military exercise in Australia, resulting in the death of three crew members and multiple injuries.
The newly crashed F-35B fighter jet is capable of short range and vertical takeoff and landing, making it suitable as a carrier based aircraft for aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. Charleston Joint Base spokesperson Jeremy Hawkins told The Washington Post that the flight responder of the crashed F-35B fighter jet had failed, and its stealth capability increased tracking difficulty.
[Online reviews and previous ruts]