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<\/p>\nTHE debris of the missing F-35 fighter jet has been found 28 hours after its pilot ejected and the plane continued to fly on.<\/p>\n
The US military had been desperately appealing for help to find the stealth plane that suffered a "mishap" on Sunday afternoon as it flew over over\u00a0South Carolina.<\/p>\n
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The debris field was found 80 miles from the \u00a364million aircraft's base in Charleston finally ending the mystery that surrounded its disappearance.<\/p>\n
At around 2pm on Sunday, the pilot safely ejected following an unknown error, but the plane – reportedly left in a "zombie" state on autopilot – continued to fly on.<\/p>\n
Military officials had called on the public to help find the Lightning II fighter jet as they struggled to locate it.<\/p>\n
They described the incident as a "mishap" and stated they were focusing their attention around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion based on the "jet\u2019s last-known position".<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe mishap is currently under investigation, and we are unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process,\u201d the base said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Also on Monday, the Marine Corps issued a two-day stand-down for all aviation units inside and outside of the US this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No units will be allowed to fly until a two-day discussion about safety measures and procedures has taken place, according to an email seen by ABC News.<\/p>\n
"Personnel from Joint Base Charleston and @MCASBeaufortSC, in close coordination with local authorities, have located a debris field in Williamsburg County," the base wrote on X\/Twitter.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n They added: "The debris was discovered two hours northeast of JB Charleston.<\/p>\n "Members of the community should avoid the area as the recovery team secures the debris field."<\/p>\n F-35s are some of the world's most expensive and advanced fighter jets – known for their stealth, speed and aerodynamic body.<\/p>\n Their state-of-the-art sensors, systems and airframe enable it to be undetected by enemies, which further hampered the search effort.<\/p>\n Local congresswoman,\u00a0Nancy Mace, argued on\u00a0X\/Twitter on Monday: \u201cHow in the hell do you lose an F-35?<\/p>\n "How is there not a tracking device and we\u2019re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?\u201d<\/p>\n Along with its stealth capabilities, the jet's transponder – which is usually used to locate the aircraft – was not working "for some reason that we haven't determined," a spokesperson at Joint Base Charleston told\u00a0The Washington Post.<\/p>\n The plane and pilot belonged to the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 based in Beaufort, not far from South Carolina\u2019s Atlantic coast.<\/p>\n In 2018, the same squadron crashed an F-35 for the first time after 17 years of flying the model in the sky.<\/p>\n In January 2022, a F-35C Lightning II fighter jet\u00a0plummeted into the South China Sea after crashing on the deck\u00a0of a US aircraft carrier.<\/p>\n F-35s are some of the world's most expensive and advanced fighter jets – known for their stealth, speed and aerodynamic body.<\/p>\n UK's RAF flies the same model as the missing jet, which operates on the new\u00a0Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.<\/p>\n They describe it as an aircraft "capable of conducting air-to-surface, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering and air-to-air missions simultaneously".<\/p>\n In 2021, the Air Force\u00a0lost a \u00a3100million F-35B stealth jet\u00a0in the Mediterranean after it crashed while taking off from the flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.<\/p>\n A\u00a0secret salvage operation\u00a0conducted by the Royal Navy submarines, special forces and the US Navy located and recovered the wreckage before it fell into the wrong hands.<\/p>\n Military top brass feared the jet\u2019s secret stealth technology\u00a0could fall into Vladimir Putin's hands\u00a0as the area is known to be closely monitored by the Russians.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/newspress-collage-24010540-1695079884067.jpg\")
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