Final Conclusions On Bizarre Crash Of ‘Zombie’ F-35B That Flew Without A Pilot For 64 Miles Released

The USMC has released its final conclusions regarding its investigation into the bizarre loss of an F-35B that crashed in South Carolina on September 17th of last year. The Marines say that the mishap was caused primarily by pilot error, stating that “the pilot incorrectly diagnosed an out-of-controlled flight emergency and ejected from a flyable aircraft, albeit during a heavy rainstorm compounded with aircraft electrical and display malfunctions.” The jet went on to continue flying without a pilot for over 60 miles before slamming into a field. Thankfully, nobody was injured as a result of the incident. You can read our last in a number of reports on the F-35B’s ‘ghost ship’-like mishap here.

“On the afternoon of Sept. 17, 2023, a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501, 2nd MAW, crashed in South Carolina. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft while attempting to execute a climbout during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions and heavy precipitation near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The aircraft continued to fly unmanned for 11 minutes and 21 seconds before impacting in a rural area approximately 64 nautical miles northeast of the airfield in Williamsburg County, South Carolina.

The investigation concluded the pilot’s decision to eject was ultimately inappropriate because commanded-flight inputs were in progress at the time of ejection, standby flight instrumentation was providing accurate data, and the aircraft’s backup radio was, at least partially, functional. Furthermore, the aircraft continued to fly for an extended period after ejection.”

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