Authorities have located the debris field of a Marine Corps F-35 stealth fighter jet that crashed in rural Williamsburg County, South Carolina, on Sunday. The pilot ejected and parachuted to safety, landing in a North Charleston neighborhood before being taken to hospital in stable condition.
The Marine Corps announced a two-day operational pause following the crash, the third costly accident in recent weeks. General Eric Smith, acting commandant, ordered the stand-down as search efforts focused on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, north of North Charleston.
The incident is classified as a 'Class-A mishap', involving damages of $2.5 million or more or destruction of an aircraft. Previous Class-A mishaps include a V-22B Osprey crash in Australia that killed three Marines in August, and a fatal combat jet crash near San Diego.
Recovery teams are securing the debris field, and residents have been asked to avoid the area. The pilot's name has not been released. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
