The US Marine Corps (USMC) found the wreckage of the F-35B fighter that disappeared on Sunday after the pilot ejected north of Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
The stealth fighter was reportedly seen in rural Williamsburg County about 16 hours after the incident.
Initially, the USMC asked the public to provide information about the possible whereabouts of the aircraft, however, Joint Base Charleston, where the fighter was based, requested that people avoid the rescue area.
The F-35B is the short or vertical takeoff and landing (V/STOL) variant operated by the Marines and also by the United Kingdom and Italy.
So far, no details have been released about the reason that led the pilot to eject. The difficulty in locating the F-35 would have involved the fact that its surfaces contained anti-radar material.
Two-day flight suspension
On Monday, General Eric M. Smith, Acting Commandant of the Marine Corps, ordered a two-day suspension of operations to discuss aviation safety issues and best practices.
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The F-35B crash was the third serious accident involving USMC aircraft in just a few weeks. In August, a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor crashed in Australia, killing three Marines, and days earlier an F/A-18D fighter crashed in California, with the loss of the pilot.
“This stand down is being taken to ensure the service is maintaining operational standardization of combat-ready aircraft with well-prepared pilots and crews,” the US Marine Corps statement said.
