US Military Asks Public for Help After F-35 Goes Missing in ‘Mishap’

A spokesperson for the air base said the jet was left in autopilot mode and could still be airborne.

An F-35 fighter jet takes off for a training mission at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, on March 15, 2017. George Frey/Getty Images

U.S. military officials said they’re searching for a missing Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter in South Carolina, and they’re asking for the public’s assistance.

Joint Base Charleston, an air base in North Charleston, South Carolina, wrote on social media on Sept. 17 that it was attempting to “locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap” that day. It confirmed that the pilot was able to eject safely from the plane and was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition.