Marine Corps F-35 fighter jet missing after 'mishap' over South Carolina

The U.S. military can't find a very advanced, very expensive fighter jet

Marine Corps F-35B
Marine Corps F-35B
(Image credit: Leon Neal / Getty Images)

A Marine Corps F-35B Lighting II fighter jet is missing in South Carolina after a "mishap" Sunday that caused the pilot to eject over Charleston, Joint Base Charleston said. The unidentified pilot parachuted into a North Charleston neighborhood at about 2 p.m. on Sunday and was in stable condition at a local hospital, a spokesperson for the base said. 

"If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center," Joint Base Charleston said on X, formerly Twitter. "Based on the jet's last-known position and in coordination with the FAA, we are focusing our attention north of JB Charleston, around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion." The FAA referred any question to the military. A South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter joined the search, The Associated Press reported. 

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.