F-35 disappearance: US Marine Corps grounds its entire fleet after ‘mishap’

After the mysterious disappearance of an F-35 jet, the US Marine Corps halted its aviation operations around the globe. While the crash site was located nearly a day after the “mishap”, a lot is still unknown about the incident.

The “stand-down” order will last for two days and will give officials an opportunity to “discuss aviation safety matters and best practices,” as per the order.

The pilot of the F-35, who has not been named, ejected from the aircraft and landed safely. The plane, however, went on and crashed in Williamsburg County, about two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston.

“The mishap is currently under investigation, and we are unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process,” the Marine Corps said in a news release on Monday evening.

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It’s the third event documented as a “Class-A mishap” over the past six weeks, according to a Marine Corps announcement. Such incidents occur when damages reach $2.5 million or more, a Department of Defense aircraft is destroyed, or someone dies or is permanently disabled.

(With AP inputs)