The U.S. Marine Corps panicked and called 911 after losing an F-35 fighter jet in an aviation “accident” that led to a crash in South Carolina, according to newly released audio files.
The $90 million stealth jet went missing over the state's Lowcountry region on Sept. 17 after the pilot safely ejected, leaving the plane unmanned and flying into the unknown as it disappeared from view.
“We believe there may be an aircraft that crashed in Williamsburg County earlier today,” a major at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort told a Williamsburg County 911 dispatcher, according to an audio file. . Get ABC News.
“Do you believe there is a plane that crashed in Williamsburg County?” the confused dispatcher asked in response.
“That's right,” the Major retorted. “We're trying to find it, but it's dry right now.”
It was previously unclear whether the plane's transponder was functioning properly, but the Marines were able to provide coordinates of the area where the plane was believed to have crashed, the file said.
Dispatch immediately requested that a medical team be sent to the scene for the pilot flying the jet, but the Marines later reported that the pilot's hand had come out and landed safely. The dispatch was canceled.
Audio released in September, days after the accident, shows emergency response further disrupted when South Carolina 911 dispatchers received a call from a resident who said the pilot was on the property. .
“There was a pilot in my house, and I think it landed in my backyard. I'm trying to see if I can get an ambulance to my house. Please,” the homeowner told the stunned dispatcher. But the dispatcher had to ask again. what happened.
He handed the phone to the pilot, who provided details to the dispatcher. He said he felt “okay” after parachuting about 2,000 feet above the ground, but complained of pain in his lower back.
The day after the crash, a pile of debris was found in a rural area near the border of Williamsburg and Florence counties, about 120 miles from where the pilot landed.
The cause of the crash remains unknown and the Marine Corps is investigating. Officials called the incident an “accident.”
