The U.S. military said on Monday it was still searching for an F-35 fighter jet after a mishap on Sunday near an air base in South Carolina and has asked for the public's help locating it.

The pilot of the F-35B Lightning II jet ejected safely from the aircraft, according to a statement from Joint Base Charleston.

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The fighter jet's main advantages, according to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), are that it is nearly impossible to track with radar and is packed with advanced sensors and other gear.

Based on the jet's last known position, the base said search efforts were focused north of the base around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. That could suggest the plane may have crashed in water, which would make it difficult to locate.

The FAA referred queries on the issue to the U.S. military.

In a dramatic turn of events, a Marine Corps pilot had to safely eject from an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet during a mishap over North Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday afternoon. Military officials launched a search operation for the missing aircraft, focusing their efforts on two lakes in the area. The pilot's name has not been released, but he was reported to be in stable condition after parachuting safely into a North Charleston neighborhood.

The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, in collaboration with Joint Base Charleston, immediately appealed to the public for assistance in locating the F-35B Lightning II. In a tweet, Joint Base Charleston requested anyone with information about the missing aircraft to contact the Base Defense Operations Center.

As the investigation into the incident continues, Senior Master Sgt. Heather Stanton at Joint Base Charleston revealed that the search for the F-35B Lightning II was primarily focused on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, both located north of North Charleston. To aid in the search efforts, a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter joined the operation after the weather cleared.

The Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, based in Beaufort, was responsible for the F-35B Lightning II involved in the mishap. Fortunately, a second F-35B Lightning II returned safely to Joint Base Charleston, bringing some relief to the authorities.

With each F-35B Lightning II costing around $80 million, the urgency to locate the missing aircraft is paramount. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of these advanced fighter jets, confirmed the cost, highlighting the significant investment at stake.

The urgency and seriousness of this situation prompted a desperate plea from the military and civilian authorities for cooperation from the public. Joint Base Charleston, via Facebook, urged the public to assist in the search operation and to contact the Base Defense Operations Center with any relevant information.

While the cause of the mishap and the pilot's decision to eject remain under investigation, emergency response teams have been deployed to locate the missing F-35B Lightning II fighter jet. The situation remains fluid, with authorities actively working to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Fox News Digital reached out to Joint Base Charleston for further details, but as of now, no additional information has been made available. The search operation is ongoing, and authorities are hopeful that the missing F-35B Lightning II will be found soon.

A U.S. fighter jet's stealth abilities appear to be working too well, with authorities forced to ask the public for help finding an F-35 that went missing somewhere over South Carolina when the pilot ejected due to a "mishap."

Joint Base Charleston, an air base in North Charleston, said it was working with Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort to "locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap" on Sunday afternoon.

The pilot was able to safely eject from the aircraft, an F-35B Lightning II jet, and was taken to a local medical center in stable condition, the air base said in a Facebook post at around 5:35 p.m. ET.

The condition of the pilot was not immediately clear as of Monday morning. The circumstances surrounding the “mishap” also remained unclear. Joint Base Charleston and the U.S. Air Force did not immediately respond to overnight requests for comment from NBC News.

Joint Base Charleston asked the public to "cooperate with military and civilian authorities" as the effort to locate the jet continued. ..... The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The incident attracted some criticism, with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) asking in a social media post : "How in the hell do you lose an F-35?"

"How is there not a tracking device and we're asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?" Mace wrote.

The jet's transponder, which usually helps locate the aircraft, was not working "for some reason that we haven't yet determined," Jeremy Huggins, a spokesman at Joint Base Charleston, said, according to The Washington Post.

"So that's why we put out the public request for help," Huggins said.

He added that the aircraft is "stealth, so it has different coatings and different designs that make it more difficult than a normal aircraft to detect."

Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin describes the F-35 series on its website as the "Most Advanced Fighter Jet in the World," as well as the "most lethal, stealthy and survivable aircraft."

The F-35 family includes three single-seat variants, including the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing jet, the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant and the F-35C carrier.

Recovery team worked to secure the debris field of a Marine Corps F-35 fighter jet after pilot ejected and parachuted to safety.

The debris field was located in rural Williamsburg county, according to the Marine Corps' Joint Base Charleston. The field is about two hours north-east of the base, and residents were being asked to avoid the area while the recovery team worked to secure it.

The United States military has said search teams are still looking for a missing F-35 fighter jet, with the failure to track the aircraft drawing questions, amazement and ridicule.

Joint Base Charleston said on Monday afternoon that it was working with other military divisions and US authorities to try to locate the F-35B Lightning II, "using both ground and air assets".

"We appreciate the support we've received from our mission partners and every organization involved, as integrated teams are searching and preparing for the recovery of the jet," the base said in a statement shared online.

The F-35 disappeared over South Carolina on Sunday after the pilot ejected for unknown reasons, prompting the base to issue a call on social media asking anyone with information to call in.

Joint Base Charleston said that "based on the jet's last-known position", the search was centred around two large lakes north of the city of Charleston - Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion - suggesting it may have crashed.

The pilot parachuted safely into a North Charleston neighbourhood, leaving the F-35 flying in what some called a "zombie state".

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Now that I got that out of the way. How in the hell do you lose an F-35?

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- Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) September 18, 2023

The disappearance of a highly advanced aircraft, which costs about $80m, sparked incredulous comments online.

Some posted manipulated photographs of “lost” signs on trees, offering rewards to find the missing jet.

"How in the hell do you lose an F-35? ..... Nancy Mace, a member of Congress representing the Charleston area, said on social media.

Mace said in another post on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, that she was going to be briefed by the US Marine Corps on Monday afternoon about the situation.

"No one knows if the F-35 is in the air or under the water," she later said.

The search for a missing F-35 stealth fighter jet turned to a recovery mission Tuesday after authorities located a debris field in South Carolina, capping an unusual saga that drew global attention.

The discovery came a day after the public was asked for help tracking down the aircraft, which saw its pilot eject due to a “mishap” and leave the jet on autopilot. Officials will now probe exactly what happened, with Marine Corps aircraft grounded following the incident.

Members of the community in Williamsburg County were urged Monday night to avoid the area where the debris field was found as a recovery team worked to secure the area.

The debris was discovered about two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston, the air base in North Charleston that sparked international headlines on Sunday after it put out a request on social media for "any information" that might help locate the aircraft, an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, which comes with a price tag of about $80 million.

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The pilot was able to safely eject from the fighter jet and was taken to a local medical center in stable condition. They remained in stable condition as of Monday, a spokesperson for Joint Base Charleston said.

It is still unclear what exactly unfolded in the “mishap” that prompted the pilot to eject from the aircraft.

Joint Base Charleston said the incident was under investigation in a Facebook post on Monday and it said it was "unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process."

The jet was left in autopilot when the pilot ejected, Jeremy Huggins, a spokesman at Joint Base Charleston said on Monday. Authorities believed it was possible the aircraft could have remained airborne for some time. Two defense officials said Monday that the jet does not have the range or ability to fly for a long period without refueling, however.

On Monday, all Marine Corps aircraft, inside and out of the U.S., were grounded following the incident, according to an order issued by Gen. Eric Smith, the acting commandant of the Marines.

Marine aircraft deployed abroad or with upcoming missions were able to briefly delay the order, but they are expected to stand down for two days this week, officials said. The Pentagon said the suspension would allow units to "discuss aviation safety matters and best practices."

"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.

Aircraft missing after pilot ejects over South Carolina - but stealth design 'makes it more difficult to detect'.

On Sunday, a Marine Corps pilot ejected out of an F-35 Lightning II during a “mishap” over South Carolina.

The pilot parachuted into a neighbourhood in North Charleston and was taken to a medical centre but the whereabouts of the plane is unknown.

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Senior Master Sgt Heather Stanton said a police helicopter had joined the search which was focused on Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion.

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