Missing F-35

[AWP]

3/6 Marines: We lost some rifles.

VMFAT-501: Hold my beer.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/17/us/south-carolina-fighter-jet-pilot-ejects/index.html

The military is searching for an F-35 fighter jet near Charleston, South Carolina, after its pilot ejected Sunday afternoon, according to military officials.

The pilot ejected safely after a “mishap” involving the jet and was taken to a local medical facility in stable condition, Joint Base Charleston said in a Facebook post.

Emergency response teams are now working to find the aircraft, an F-35B Lightning II jet.

 

[Chopstick]

Aliens.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

That’ll be a hell of a police call.

 

[DA SWO]

I'd like to know what system was activated just prior to ejection? May be a PA moron not knowing anything about aircraft or does the plane have an autopilot?

 

[AWP]

I'd like to know what system was activated just prior to ejection? May be a PA moron not knowing anything about aircraft or does the plane have an autopilot?

Showing my ignorance here, but wouldn't the jet have an EPIRB (or some variation)? Would that activate on impact or a result of the pilot ejecting (they have their own beacons IIRC)? I know it is a "stealth" fighter, but don't those typically fly with reflectors and ADS-B/ IFF Mode 5 (assuming the former is enabled).

 

[Ooh-Rah]

So the pilot ejected from a plane that was capable of still flying in auto-pilot mode? But then they couldn't track the F-35 because it's transponder didn't work and it is a "stealth" jet.

Why would the pilot eject if the plane could still fly?

I think I’ve seen this movie… The F35, filled with Chinese electronics, is currently being remotely piloted to Chinese airspace after Chinese hackers remotely ejected the pilot.

F me that almost sounds plausible.

 

[AWP]

Why would the pilot eject if the plane could still fly?

Fun fact, and I don't know if it played a role here or not, but the F-35 will auto-eject the pilot if the plane is flying outside of certain parameters. That's what happened during the crash in Dallas awhile back.

There have been instances of seemingly out of control planes "straighten up and fly right" when the pilot punches out. The change in the center of gravity allowed them to go on for miles. An F-106 did this years ago and bellied in, intact.

The AIB for this one will be wild.

 

[Box]

Chinese hackers - that what I'm going with for now.

 

[AWP]

Chinese hackers - that what I'm going with for now.

A new game of Clue!

It was a Chinese spy balloon, in South Carolina, with code stolen from an unprotected Lockheed Martin server.

 

[Blizzard]

Alright, here's my question...

This flight was supposedly a 2-ship. So, why doesn’t the pilot of the other jet know where it went? I get he has was watching his buddy's chute but he must have some idea where it went.

Maybe wx? I don't know anything about conditions in the area.

But, I'm with @Chopstick ...aliens.

 

[AWP]

Alright, here's my question...

This flight was supposedly a 2-ship. So, why doesn’t the pilot of the other jet know where it went? I get he has was watching his buddy's chute but he must have some idea where it went.

Maybe wx? I don't know anything about conditions in the area.

But, I'm with @Chopstick ...aliens.

Weather wasn't the best. Clouds, rain, etc.

My clown-ass, non-pilot guess? The wingman was looking for the chute and not the plane. The AIB will tell us more.

Ultimately, who knows what happened, but given how much those planes cost? We the taxpayers kind of deserve some answers.

 

[DA SWO]

Fun fact, and I don't know if it played a role here or not, but the F-35 will auto-eject the pilot if the plane is flying outside of certain parameters. That's what happened during the crash in Dallas awhile back.

There have been instances of seemingly out of control planes "straighten up and fly right" when the pilot punches out. The change in the center of gravity allowed them to go on for miles. An F-106 did this years ago and bellied in, intact.

The AIB for this one will be wild.

My understanding is just the B-model (which this one is) will auto-eject.

Funny thing, jets have a way of flying/landing after pilots eject.

Marines just initiated a two-day stand-down.

 

[AWP]

My understanding is just the B-model (which this one is) will auto-eject.

Funny thing, jets have a way of flying/landing after pilots eject.

The FENAB will be awesome if those results are ever made public.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

Ultimately, who knows what happened, but given how much those planes cost? We the taxpayers kind of deserve some answers.

 

[Blizzard]

Guess they "found" it somewhere in Williamsburg Cnty, South Carolina...wherever that is.

 

[Chopstick]

It's northeast of Lake Marion

 

[DA SWO]

The FENAB will be awesome if those results are ever made public.

Part of it will be.

 

[Box]

Deserves got nothing to do with it…

 

[AWP]

The Navy talking to the Marine Corps right about now.

 

[BloodStripe]

Lockheed showing off that stealth technology.