00:00 A US Marine Corps fighter jet has gone missing in South Carolina after its pilots safely
00:11 ejected the aircraft on Sunday.
00:13 The US military officials have appealed to the public to help locate the missing multi-million
00:18 dollar plane.
00:19 Military officials said that a Marine Corps pilot safely ejected the F-35 Lightning II
00:24 jet over North Charleston on Sunday afternoon after a mishap.
00:29 US authorities said they were searching, in coordination with federal aviation regulators,
00:33 around two lakes north of the city of Charleston.
00:37 Joint Base Charleston Air Force Base in North Charleston in a Post NX sought the help of
00:41 the public to provide any information regarding the missing jet.
00:45 If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of the F-35, please contact our
00:49 Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600.
00:55 The Air Force is coordinating with the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort to locate the missing
01:00 aircraft.
01:01 Emergency response teams have been deployed to find the jet as well.
01:05 In a statement on Facebook, Joint Base Charleston said that based on the jet's last known position
01:10 and in coordination with the FAA, we are focusing our attention north of JB Charleston around
01:15 Lake Maltray and Lake Marion.
01:18 Reportedly, the pilot was found on South Kenwood Drive in North Charleston after the pilot
01:22 ejected safely.
01:24 An investigation is underway to find out the reason that forced the pilot to eject.
01:27 Reportedly, the planes and pilots were part of the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron
01:31 501, which is based in Beaufort.
01:34 The Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort is located approximately 35 miles southwest of
01:38 Charleston.
01:39 It serves as the home to various units of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, including the
01:43 Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, which operates F-35B Lightning II aircraft.
01:49 This military facility, sprawling across 6,900 acres, is staffed by around 4,700 military
01:55 personnel.
01:56 It boasts a substantial air-to-air combat training area off the coast of South Carolina
01:59 and Georgia, as well as an air-to-ground combat and bombing range in McIntosh County, Georgia.
02:06 Just last month, the base mourned the loss of a highly decorated Marine Corps pilot.
02:10 Major Andrew Mettler was flying an F/A-18D Hornet during a training flight when it crashed
02:16 near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego.
02:19 The incident occurred shortly before midnight on August 24.
02:22 This crash marked the fifth Class A aviation mishap of the current fiscal year, defined
02:27 as incidents resulting in damage exceeding $2 million or involving fatalities.
02:32 Remarkably, it was the first such incident involving a Marine Corps aircraft.
02:37 The F-35 represents the leading edge of U.S. fighter technology.
02:41 The aircraft was displayed during the Aero India 2023.
02:44 The F-35 stealth fighter can carry out air strikes on ground targets, as well as engage
02:49 other aircraft in air superiority missions as well.
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