“He Just Lost It In The Weather” – Audio From F-35 Crash Response Emerges
Video of the crash site and radio calls made shortly after the F-35 pilot ejected add new color to this developing story.
BY
JOSEPH TREVITHICK
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PUBLISHED SEP 19, 2023 3:24 PM EDT
New details about the crash of a Marine Corps F-35B on September 17, 2023, have emerged.
Much about the recent crash of a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter in South Carolina remains unknown, but some additional details have now emerged thanks to recorded air traffic and first responder radio calls. Video of the site where debris from the jet was found has also now become available. You can read more about what is already known about this mishap in The War Zone's earlier reporting.
The first word that something had happened came on September 17 after the F-35B's pilot ejected safely. However, the jet was on autopilot and continued on its own for some time in a 'zombie' state. Its transponder was rendered inoperable at some point in the incident, hampering subsequent efforts in the air and on the ground to locate the crash site. The public was encouraged to alert authorities to any information they might have had before the debris field was finally found around a day later.
User @aeroscouting on X, formerly Twitter, shared an audio recording of radio calls on September 17 between Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers at Charleston International Airport. Charleston International Airport is collocated with the U.S. military's Joint Base Charleston, which was the focal point for subsequent efforts to find the missing F-35B from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501). VMFAT-501 is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, also in South Carolina, located to the southwest of Charleston International Airport/Joint Base Charleston.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/he-just-lost-it-in-the-weather-audio-from-f-35-crash-response-emerges
