The Marines lost a F-35 on Sunday, and no one has been able to find it.
A Marine piloting a special vertical takeoff-and-landing version of the F-35B suffered some sort of “mishap”, and was forced to eject in South Carolina. He ejected safely, so we can laugh. However, the plane was nowhere to be found. The missing jet, which weighs over 32,000 pounds, even without jet fuel, would seem to be very easy to find.
The autopilot was on and there was genuine concern about the aircraft cruising over South Carolina without a pilot or canopy.
The person who runs the Joint Base Charleston social media asked for help on Twitter in finding the super-invisible stealth aircraft.
We’re working with @MCASBeaufortSC to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon. The pilot ejected safely. If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600.
— Joint Base Charleston (@TeamCharleston) September 17, 2023
The mishaps are just beginning.
An early report from NBC noted that “The jet was left in autopilot mode so there’s a possibility it could still be airborne somewhere over South Carolina.” That was early Sunday evening. Surely, it’s run out of fuel by now. (Yes, and don’t call me Shirley.)
No one has seen or heard anything.
Twitter acted as only Twitter could.
We’re working with @MCASBeaufortSC to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon. The pilot ejected safely. If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600.
— Joint Base Charleston (@TeamCharleston) September 17, 2023
We’re working with @MCASBeaufortSC to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon. The pilot ejected safely. If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600.
— Joint Base Charleston (@TeamCharleston) September 17, 2023
It was inevitable that the next one would come.
We’re working with @MCASBeaufortSC to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon. The pilot ejected safely. If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600.
— Joint Base Charleston (@TeamCharleston) September 17, 2023
Some people tried to be helpful.
We’re working with @MCASBeaufortSC to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon. The pilot ejected safely. If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center at 843-963-3600.
— Joint Base Charleston (@TeamCharleston) September 17, 2023
Other people know when to take advantage of a good deal.
I avoid Twitter at weekends but couldn’t help asking: “When you ask Twitter whether anyone has seen your missing jet, do you expect anything other than snarky responses?”
You might find a guy on Twitter who is looking for F-35s in his backyard.
He did his best. He even checked the shed just in case. He had to reply to @TeamCharleston with “Sorry no.” What color was it?”
Ryan Petty, a member of the Florida State Board of Education, quipped: “Joe Biden told us we needed an F-15 for our Constitutional Rights, so maybe we’ll keep this one.” “We paid for it.”
That’s my last word, at least until I find the jet on the blocks outside a small house just outside Pamplico.
