F-35B crashes in South Carolina; pilot ejects safely

An F-35B similar to the one pictured crashed Friday in southeastern South Carolina. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy

By Danielle Haynes, UPI

A U.S. Marine Corps pilot safely ejected Friday before the F-35B fighter jet he was flying crashed in southeastern South Carolina, the military said.

The crash happened around 11:45 p.m. near the Broad River in Beaufort County, a statement from the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort said.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said the pilot, the only person on board the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing F-35B, was transported to a hospital for evaluation.

The sheriff's office said the crash happened in a rural area on Barnwell Island, about 31 miles northeast of the border with Georgia.