USMC F-35B crashes near MCAS Beaufort. Pilot ejected safely

This F-35B crash is the first one for the U.S. military’s newest and most expensive aircraft

A U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B has crashed in coastal South Carolina, on Sep. 28, 2018. According to CBS the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said the crash was reported about 11:45 a.m. near the Grays Hill community.

Noteworthy this Lightning II crash is the first one for the U.S. military’s newest and most expensive aircraft.

The sheriff’s office said in a tweet that the pilot ejected safely. It wasn’t immediately clear if the pilot was injured.

The crash took place about 4 miles west of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Beaufort.

The crash comes after that an F-35C attached to VFA-125 was forced to divert to Fresno Yosemite International Airport after an indicator lighted up in the cockpit on Sep. 24.

An F-35C assigned to VFA-125 ingested debris from an aerial refueling basket while receiving fuel from an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-103 on Aug. 22.

The pilot recovered the aircraft back aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).

Naval Air Forces Atlantic spokesman Cmdr. Dave Hecht said that damage to the F-35C was reported as a Class A mishap – the most serious type for a military aircraft.

That same day a U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-35A experienced a nose gear malfunction at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB). The aircraft experienced an in-flight emergency and returned to base. The Lightning II landed safely and parked when the front nose gear collapsed.

As previously reported the USMC F-35B conducted its first combat strikes in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan, on Sep. 27.

Photo credit: Sam Richardson via Twitter

Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com