Charleston, SC…Personnel from Joint Base Charleston and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, in close coordination with local authorities, have located a debris field in Williamsburg County. The debris was discovered two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston.

F-35 Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen/Released)

Teams from Joint Base Charleston, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing out of MCAS Cherry Point, Navy Region Southeast, the FAA, the Civil Air Patrol, as well as local, county, and state law enforcement across South Carolina have been working together to locate the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B.

Members of the community should avoid the area as the recovery team secures the debris field.

JB Charleston is transferring incident command to the USMC this evening, as they begin the recovery process.
The mishap is currently under investigation, and we are unable to provide additional details to preserve the integrity of the investigative process.

We would like to thank all of our mission partners, as well as local, county, and state authorities, for their dedication and support throughout the search and as we transition to the recovery phase.

For additional information, please contact the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, at 252-466-3827 or 2ndMAW.COMMSTRAT@usmc.mil.