Search for Missing F-35B Ends with Discovery of Plane’s Debris in South Carolina
On 17 September, US Military Joint Base Charleston asked the public for help in their search for a F-35B fighter jet which had gone missing. The aircraft’s pilot reportedly ejected from it as the plane was mid-flight with the auto-pilot systems turned on around lakes Moultrie and Marion in South Carolina. Described initially as a ‘mishap’, apparent issues with the aircraft’s transponder made locating it difficult. On 19 September, it was reported that wreckage from the aircraft had been discovered.
On 19 September, two days after the announcement of the search, the debris of the missing plane was found in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, which neighbors the area where the search began.
A statement issued on the discovery explained that “the debris was discovered two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston,” the statement also confirmed that teams from Joint Base Charleston, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing out of MCAS Cherry Point, Navy Region Southeast, the FAA, the Civil Air Patrol, as well as local, county, and state law enforcement.
Although the event has gained notoriety among the public for its apparent outlandishness, there are some possible explanations for what might have been behind this incident – though the full details are still pending an investigation. For instance, in 2021 NASA published an assessment that investigated dozens of reports of pilots of various fighter jets experiencing breathing issues while piloting the aircraft. As the NESC Pilot Breathing Assessment Vol 1 report notes:
“[…]the F-35 Breathing System (which, although from limited data, caused more BSDs[Breathing Sequence Disruptions] than any other breathing system reviewed in this report).”
In light of the event, Eric Smith – the acting commandant of Marine Corps, which is the only branch of US military that operates F-35Bs, issued a safety stand-down order for all of its aviation units to “discuss aviation safety matters and best practices”. Such stand-downs are a common occurrence whenever there are frequent reports of issues with certain aircrafts. A similar one occurred in December 2022, when the F-35 Joint Program Office grounded a number of jets after a crash of one F-35 craft in an accident in Texas earlier that month.
Both the Joint Program Office and manufacturer Lockheed Martin have both confirmed they will be assisting the investigation into the aircraft’s loss.