SNAFU

Marines Lose Pricy Fighter Jet After ‘Mishap’ Forces Pilot to Eject

The pilot ejected and parachuted safely into a South Carolina neighborhood, and was hospitalized in stable condition.

Military officials are hunting for a missing fighter jet after a training “mishap” forced a pilot to eject over South Carolina on Sunday, authorities said. The pilot, who was assigned to a Marines Corps training squadron, ejected and parachuted safely into a North Charleston neighborhood around 2 p.m., the service said. He was in stable condition after being taken to a local hospital, a spokesperson told the Associated Press. The F-35 Lightning II jet remained unaccounted for as of Sunday night, with officials from Joint Base Charleston saying on social media that they were working with Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort to locate the aircraft. The social media posts directed the public to contact the base if they located the aircraft. Estimates for the value of a single F-35 fighter jet vary, but Fortune reported earlier this year that prices reported for recent foreign sales have averaged out to between $150 million and $200 million per plane.