In a statement made Sunday, September 17, 2023, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina stated:

“We’re working with [Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort] to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon. The pilot ejected safely…

Based on the jet’s last-known position and in coordination with the FAA, we are focusing our attention north of JB Charleston, around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion.”

The following day they again said:

“Teams continue to search for the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B, using ground and air assets.”

JB Charleston is one of 12 of the Department of Defense’s “Joint Bases”, which the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines all share.

The aircraft is the B variant of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, all of which are single-seat. This particular variant allows for short takeoff and verticle landing (STOVL) at the expense of some inflight maneuverability. The DOD estimates that the F-35 project will cost a total of 1.7 Trillion over its lifetime.

Later that day JB Charleston would announce:

“Personnel from Joint Base and [Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort], in close coordination with local authorities, have located a debris field in WIlliamsburg County. The debris was discovered two hours northeast of JB Charleston.”

While JB Charleston never explicitly states that the debris belonged to the F-35B, it is implied that the debris belongs to the jet as they have begun to transition into a “recovery phase”.