Marine pilot in stable condition after fighter jet crashes near Beaufort air station
By Mandy Matney, Wade Livingston, Maggie Angst And Stephen Fastenau
mmatney@islandpacket.com
wlivingston@islandpacket.com
mangst@islandpacket.com
sfastenau@islandpacket.com
September 28, 2018
A U.S. pilot ejected from a multi-million dollar fighter jet that crashed on a small island just miles from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort on Friday morning, according to officials.
The jet, a single-seat Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II with Marine Corps training squadron VMFAT-501 — a unit known as the “Warlords” — crashed around 11:45 a.m., according to Marine Corps spokesperson Capt. Christopher Harrison.
The pilot, a U.S. Marine, ejected safely, Harrison said, and was evaluated by medical personnel. There were no casualties on the ground, according to Harrison and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. The plane was not carrying any ordnance, Harrison said.
Breaking News
A man wearing what appears to be a flight suit with an squadron patch similar to that of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort unit that flies the F-35B fighter jet leaves Friday afternoon in a Marine Corps Air Station Fire and Rescue ambulance. Law enforcement at the scene confirmed that the pilot of the crashed jet was still on the scene when media arrived on Clarendon Road in the Grays Hill area.
Drew Martin dmartin@islandpacket.com
The pilot — whom the Corps, citing privacy policies, did not name — is in stable condition at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, according to an email from II Marine Expeditionary Force spokesman Maj. Jordan Cochran.
The incident — which occurred on Little Barnwell Island, about five miles from the air station — marks the first crash and ejection by an F-35, Harrison said. An F-35B is valued at $115.5 million, a figure that includes the airframe, engine and associated contractor costs, according to Harrison.
The crash comes just a day after the first combat mission by Marine Corps F-35s, one completed in the skies of Afghanistan, Harrison said.
Kensley Crosby, of Beaufort, witnessed the aftermath of the crash from across the river.
Kensley Crosby
And while this is the first time one of the jets has crashed, it’s not the first time one of the stealth aircraft, known as the joint strike fighter, has suffered a critical incident.
Kensley Crosby, of Beaufort, lives across the Whale Branch River from Little Barnwell Island and witnessed the aftermath of the incident.
“I was inside and had on the morning news when I heard an explosion,” Crosby said. “At first I didn’t think anything of it, but then I looked up and saw the smoke.”
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Crosby said she saw a large black billow coming from the scene and heard an additional three to four loud booms within 30 minutes of the first explosion.
“It was crazy — I literally looked out and there were boats and helicopters everywhere,” she said. “This is such a small community, most people don’t even know we’re out here, so that was a lot to have happening.”
At 1 p.m., about an hour after the crash, Crosby said some smoke was still emitting from the crash site.
Richard Padgett, who lives on Joe Allen Drive, said smoke and some flames could be seen on what appeared to be Little Barnwell Island west of the air station and across from a boat landing. Padgett said there was a lot of boat activity in the area and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter overhead.
The scene of the crash was secured as of 2 p.m, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Residents and guests were asked to avoid Little Barnwell Island and the Grays Hill Boat Landing while emergency services personnel assess the area for safety.
Emergency crews were still on scene near the crash about five miles from the Beaufort air station around 2 p.m. Friday, hours after the crash.
Drew Martin dmartin@islandpacket.com
In October 2016, a MCAS Beaufort F-35B caught fire on a training flight. The plane landed and the pilot was OK, but the incident was deemed a Class-A mishap, because the damage to the aircraft exceeded $2 million, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reported.
Friday’s crash was the second Class-A mishap by an F-35, Harrison said.
In June, Popular Mechanics reported that a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the F-35 had “nearly a thousand ‘deficiencies’” as it nears time for a decision on full production of the fighter.
“In 2019, (the Department of Defense) will decide whether to enter full-rate production for the F-35aircraft, the most expensive and ambitious weapon acquisition program in U.S. military history,” the GAO report, dated June 13, says.
“DOD has already requested the $9.8 billion it will need for 2019, and it will continue to request more over the next two decades—about $10.4 billion annually,” the GAO report continued. “However, the F-35 is just one program in DOD’s vast acquisition portfolio, raising questions about its long-term affordability.”
Over a 60-year “life-cycle” period, it’s estimated that it will take more than 1 trillion dollars to sustain the F-35 program, according to the report.
A military plane crashed five miles outside Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort just before noon today, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Kensley Crosby
MCAS Beaufort is home to five F/A18 squadrons and one F-35B Fleet Replacement Squadron, according to the air station’s website. This past summer, Defense News reported that an ongoing shortage of spare parts and software issues is causing “a headache” for MCAS.
Read more here: https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/community/beaufort-news/article219182290.html#storylink=cpy
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A @2nd_MAW @thef35 bravo crashed today near Beaufort, South Carolina. The pilot ejected safely and is being evaluated by medical staff. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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Narrative:
The F-35 crashed during a training flight and the pilot ejected safely.
Sources:
https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/community/beaufort-news/article219182290.html
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Joe+Allen+Dr,+South+Carolina+29906/@32.5084612,-80.7835555,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x88fc09b6b5282a4f:0x7487ebbf7a4b6654?hl=en-us&gl=us
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-plane-crash-beaufort-county-south-carolina-live-updates-2018-09-28/
https://news.usni.org/2018/09/28/breaking-f-35b-crashes-near-marine-corps-air-station-beaufort
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/09/28/an-f-35b-has-crashed-near-marine-corps-air-station-beaufort/
Date: 28-SEP-2018
Time: 11:45 LT
Type:
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II
Owner/operator: US Marine Corps (USMC), VMFAT-501
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: W of Beaufort MCAS/Merritt Field (KNBC), Beaufort, SC -
United States of America Phase: Unknown
Nature: Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport: