The United States Marine Corps frantically called 911 after losing one of its F-35 fighter jets in an aerial “mishap” that led to a crash in South Carolina, according to newly released audio files.
The $90 million stealth plane disappeared Sept. 17 over the state’s Lowcountry region after its pilot ejected safely and the plane continued flying unmanned into the unknown as it disappeared from sight.
“I think we potentially have a plane that crashed in Williamsburg County today,” a major from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort told a Williamsburg County 911 dispatcher, according to audio files obtained by ABC News.
“Do you think you have a plane that crashed in Williamsburg County?” the bewildered dispatcher asked in response.
The F-35 fighter jet disappeared in South Carolina in September. ANDY WOLFE The pilot landed on a man’s property, according to 911 audio. AP
“That’s right,” the elder replied. “We are trying to look for it and so far we have achieved nothing.”
While it was previously unclear whether or not the plane’s transponder was working properly, the Marine Corps was able to provide coordinates for the area where they believed the plane went down, according to the files.
Dispatch immediately requested a medical team to the area to treat the pilot flying the plane, but then called them off when the Marines reported that the pilot’s hand was ejected and he landed safely.
Audio released in September in the days after the crash shows further confusion in the emergency response when 911 dispatchers in South Carolina received a report from a resident who reported having a pilot on their property.
The wreckage of the plane was found 75 miles from where the pilot ejected. AP The F-35 aircraft has an estimated value of $90 million. AP
“We have a pilot at the house, and I guess he landed in my backyard, and we’re trying to see if we can get an ambulance to the house, please,” the homeowner told the stunned dispatcher, who had to ask again. What happened.
He even handed the phone to the pilot, who provided details to the dispatcher. He said he felt “fine” after parachuting about 2,000 feet above the ground, but complained that his back hurt.
The day after the crash, a debris field was located in a rural area near the Williamsburg and Florence county line, about 75 miles from where the pilot landed.
The cause of the accident remains unknown and is being investigated by the Marine Corps. Officials called the incident a “mishap.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn