The AP news agency is reporting that the search is on for the wreckage of a missing F-35 jet after a Marine Corps pilot ejected from the plane over North Charleston on Sunday afternoon.
The search for the missing multi-million dollar aircraft was being focused on two lakes north of North Charleston, according to officials. The search for the F-35 Lightning II jet was focused on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, north of North Charleston based on its speed and trajectory.
Military officials said that a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter has helped search for the aircraft after some localised bad weather and were seeking assistance from locals to locate the downed jet. This is the latest in a series of incidents involving F-35 jets that have crashed or suffered serious mechanical issues.
The pilot was taken to a local hospital and was said to be in 'a stable' condition after he ejected from the aircraft and parachuted safely down around 14:00 local time.