Two F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters complete vertical landings aboard the USS Wasp (LHD-1). US Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Remington Hall

First F-35 Lightning crash

30/09/2018 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2729 Views 0 Comments

An F-35B belonging to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort crashed in the vicinity of Beaufort, South Carolina, at approximately 11:45am local time on Friday.

FILE PHOTO: Two F-35Bs conduct vertical landings aboard USS Wasp. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Remington Hall.

The US Marine pilot safely ejected from the single-seat aircraft and was evaluated by medical personnel.

There were no civilian injuries.

In an official statement, the Marine Corps said Marines from MCAS Beaufort were working with local authorities currently conducting standard mishap operations to secure the crash site and ensure the safety of all personnel in the surrounding area.

“The cause of the crash is under investigation,” the spokesman said.

The Marine Corps said more information would be released as it became available.

More than 320 F-35s are currently in service, and have accumulated more than 155,000 flight hours.

Australia currently has received 10 of it 72 aircraft ordered.

Australia operates the conventional-take-off-and-landing F-35A variant, while the aircraft that crashed was a naval-variant short-takeoff-vertical-landing type B.