Marine Corps leader orders safety stand-down of all aircraft after F-35 disappearance

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Mon Sep 18, 2023, 08:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: NBC News

Sept. 18, 2023, 4:53 PM EDT / Updated Sept. 18, 2023, 6:55 PM EDT


WASHINGTON — All Marine Corps aircraft, inside and outside the U.S., were grounded Monday after a stealth F-35 jet mysteriously disappeared in South Carolina, according to an order issued by Gen. Eric Smith, the acting commandant of the Marines.

Marine aircraft deployed abroad or with imminent missions can delay the order briefly but are expected to stand down for two days this week, officials said.

The Pentagon said in a statement that the pause in operations would allow units “to discuss aviation safety matters and best practices.” Marine leadership will use the stand down "to ensure the service is maintaining operational standardization of combat-ready aircraft with well-prepared pilots and crews.”

“During the safety stand down, aviation commanders will lead discussions with their Marines focusing on the fundamentals of safe flight operations, ground safety, maintenance and flight procedures, and maintaining combat readiness,” the statement said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/marine-leader-orders-safety-stand-aircraft-f-35-disappearance-rcna105602

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Article updated.

Original article -

Sept. 18, 2023, 4:53 PM EDT


WASHINGTON — All Marine Corps aircraft, inside and outside the U.S., were grounded Monday after a stealth F-35 jet mysteriously disappeared in South Carolina, according to an order issued by Gen. Eric Smith, the acting commandant of the Marines. Marine aircraft deployed abroad or with imminent missions can delay the order briefly but are expected to stand down for two days this week, officials said.

The Pentagon said in a statement that the pause in operations would allow units “to discuss aviation safety matters and best practices.” Marine leadership will use the stand down "to ensure the service is maintaining operational standardization of combat-ready aircraft with well-prepared pilots and crews.”

“During the safety stand down, aviation commanders will lead discussions with their Marines focusing on the fundamentals of safe flight operations, ground safety, maintenance and flight procedures, and maintaining combat readiness,” the statement said.

The Marines and Joint Base Charleston, an air base in North Charleston, South Carolina, were working Sunday to locate an F-35B Lightning II jet — with a price tag of about $80 million — after the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft. He was in stable condition Monday at a medical center, a spokesperson for the air base said.

[underpants]

1. Jesus, what a colossal screw up.

[getagrip_already]

2. Panic attack?

Sounds like it wasn't a mechanical issue. That pilot just wanted out of that plane.

Really wonder what happened?

[Ocelot II]

3. I'm not saying it was aliens...

[former9thward]

4. That jet the Marines lost? Taxpayers will pay $1.7 trillion for the F-35 program

The military losing a fighter jet near Charleston, South Carolina, and asking the public to help find it is a plotline in which “Top Gun” (fighter jets) meets “The Hunt for Red October” (country can’t find its weapons system).

But the larger story of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter is like tax dollars meet “The Blob” (unstoppable force consumes everything in its path).

How in the heck?
“How in the hell do you lose an F-35?” wondered Rep. Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican, in a post on social media that speaks for everyone who read the headline about the state-of-the-art military plane that went missing Sunday after its pilot ejected and parachuted to safety. “How is there not a tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?” she continued.

A more general and important question could be asked of the F-35 program writ large: How in the heck can you spend so much money on a plane that doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to?

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/politics/f-35-missing-jet-what-matters/index.html

[BlueIn_W_Pa]

14. Absolutely!!

This is supposed to be THE AIRCRAFT for command and control of others, and they "lose" it?

What a boondoggle, POS aircraft...

[peppertree]

16. Well - oceanfront mansions don't come cheap

Kleptocrats are God's children too, you know.

[herding cats]

5. Was this a hack of some sort?

This whole thing is just wild.

[eShirl]

6. isn't a stealth jet supposed to disappear

[Wicked Blue]

10. Cloaking device?

[LiberalArkie]

11. Why wasn't the transponder on? It was flying in regular air space.

[spike jones]

7. Maybe it was set on autopilot n/t

[LiberaBlueDem]

8. Fly by wire?

Yes, and wifi signals to control the craft?

Maybe russians hacked the flight from their sub off shore?

Could be hacked from space as well.

Then even the ejection seat was wified and pop goes the pilot and the jet, below radar, flew into the ocean and p/u by soviet trawler?

How else can you lose a jet?

[BidenRocks]

9. Been there, done that.

In the 70s, the Marines stressed PT and inspections.
Funny how many leaks and launch failures we had.
Squadron meeting, we will cut the crap.
The birds flew every sortie after that.
Pilots just fly them. Without maintenance they sit on the deck!
Due to the classified nature of this bird, it should have a detonate on eject feature.
Our birds in the Vietnam years had them. At least for the classified equipment.
There is more to this story I think.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. They just found what was left of it

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/debris-field-found-search-missing-35-south-carolina/story?id=103291654

[BidenRocks]

13. The pilot is safe.

Everything else can be replaced.
I await the Paul Harvey finish.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Yes

and I expect he is still in the hospital. I think that whole ejection process is enough to cause some serious injury but is obviously life-saving assuming the chute works as expected and you land in a safe place.