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BumRushDaShow

(122,272 posts)
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 05:57 PM Sep 18

Debris field found in search for missing F-35 in South Carolina, officials say

Source: ABC News

September 18, 2023, 6:16 PM


A debris field has been found in South Carolina during the search for a F-35 fighter jet that had gone missing after a "mishap" on Sunday, military officials confirmed in a statement on Monday night.

Officials said the debris was found in Williamsburg County some two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston, which is now handing off command to the Marine Corps. The pilot of the craft had "safely ejected" during the incident, authorities previously said.

A Marine Corps spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday "we are currently still gathering more information and assessing the situation. The mishap will be under investigation." "We are unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process," officials said in the statement on Monday.

"We would like to thank all of our mission partners, as well as local, county, and state authorities, for their dedication and support throughout the search and as we transition to the recovery phase," the officials said.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/debris-field-found-search-missing-35-south-carolina/story?id=103291654

BumRushDaShow

(122,272 posts)
2. I remember what was formerly Hurricane Idalia
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 06:21 PM
Sep 18

had rolled through that area last month including Myrtle Beach.

Igel

(34,659 posts)
9. I wonder what the craft's altitude was.
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 08:43 PM
Sep 18

What the problem was.

Part of me wants to say, "Pilot had no choice--abandon the plane when it was clear that it was going to crash." But you'd expect the crash to be close to the ejection site.

Part of me also wants to say, "Plane kept going farther than expected. Did the pilot really have to eject or just panicked?" Now, "have to eject" meant might there was a real problem or the avionics gave spurious readings.

Why the difference?

These birds aren't (a) plentiful or (b) cheap.

I'm sure I'm not the only one not just grateful that the pilot's life was saved but at the same time curious as to what, exactly happened *and* why the plane wasn't better tracked.

Then again, barring a much celebrated leak of utterly classified information that we all approve of (because we're curious, and our opinion matters), I'll never know. (In other words, between vain curiosity and actual concern, I'm entirely in favor of not having a clue about what happened.)

Hassin Bin Sober

(25,969 posts)
11. Apparently they want pilots out as soon as possible in non recoverable scenarios.
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 10:31 PM
Sep 18

I happened to recently watch these videos discussing the recent air show MiG ejection. Iirc, 10,000 feet is a “floor.” In other words, they don’t want the pilot working the problem all the way down and punch out too late. Low level ejections are no bueno.

?si=fs8rCA4j1ISGTu3R

?si=qejEsg2bGfIIo7B-

jaxexpat

(6,197 posts)
12. The Pentagon is still trying to coordinate its excuses for 1/6 inaction.
Tue Sep 19, 2023, 04:02 AM
Sep 19

They'll get right on it as soon as they can determine who's side they're on.

marked50

(1,300 posts)
4. I heard that one reason it "disappeared" is because it was in it's "Stealh" mode.
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 07:25 PM
Sep 18

Hence tracking would have been hard to do. Reasonable?

herding cats

(19,409 posts)
5. I read that as well.
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 07:33 PM
Sep 18

Who knows what's going to be the end story, but that was brandied about at one point.

BumRushDaShow

(122,272 posts)
6. I would think there would be a contingency for that
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 07:33 PM
Sep 18

where it triggers some sort of beacon on a special frequency if the pilot ejects. This is assuming it's not already programmed to self-destruct after an ejection.

zuul

(14,595 posts)
8. Also, it's invisible.
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 07:50 PM
Sep 18

I know it’s invisible because an orange, rapey, mobbed-up, gelatinous blob, who used to squat at the White House, said so.

Captain Zero

(6,415 posts)
16. And any civil airport tracking would have been giving him wrong info
Tue Sep 19, 2023, 04:42 PM
Sep 19

In the early 2000s there was a fighter with some stealth tech and it got in trouble around Indianapolis. The Indianapolis tower gave him info that he followed and it took him into a hotel east of the airport. Other than a few mentions it got quiet then slipped into the news cycle, but people in the hotel died because it showed up in their lobby

 

Alexander Of Assyria

(7,839 posts)
10. It's not a crime scene. How would releasing any information compromise the investigation???
Mon Sep 18, 2023, 10:24 PM
Sep 18

Hourly updates on the giant white spy balloon but total silence on an expensive taxpayer asset?

Pentagon obstruction of information.

yardwork

(59,757 posts)
13. And the media follow along like lemmings.
Tue Sep 19, 2023, 07:31 AM
Sep 19

Wouldn't want to do any, like, real investigative reporting or ask awkward questions. That might make someone mad.

Happy Hoosier

(6,311 posts)
15. What do you actually want to know?
Tue Sep 19, 2023, 09:45 AM
Sep 19

They'll want to keep lookie-loos away from the area until they have recovered any sensitive equipment/wreckage.... not exactly complicated. It's our most advanced operational aircraft.

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