Pilot of Downed F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Parachuted into Residential Backyard

The disappearance of the $80 million aircraft has prompted an investigation by U.S. military officials

The pilot of a stealth fighter jet that crashed on Sunday ejected and parachuted into the backyard of a South Carolina home.

The pilot dropped safely into the residential property, a Marine Corps official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press.

Joint Base Charleston wrote on Facebook that the pilot, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital where he was in stable condition. The AP reported that he was later discharged after not sustaining serious injuries.

A meteorologist in South Carolina shared audio of a call to Charleston County Emergency Medical Services in which the pilot was described as "unsure of where his plane crashed; said he just lost it in the weather."

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The air base shared on Monday, via multiple social media posts, that personnel from the Charleston base and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort found the debris field in Williamsburg County.

“Members of the community should avoid the area as the recovery team secures the debris field,” the Joint Base Charleston wrote on Facebook.

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

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The Marine Corps and a defense official told CNN that debris belonged to the F-35B fighter jet that initially went missing on Sunday after the pilot ejected.

Prior to the confirmation of the debris field, the military asked for the public’s help in finding the $80 million aircraft. Jeremy Huggins, a base spokesperson, told The Washington Post that the jet’s transponder possibly didn’t work properly.

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"The aircraft is stealth, so it has different coatings and different designs that make it more difficult than a normal aircraft to detect," Huggins said of the jet’s technology.

A situational report obtained by the AP from the Marine Corps official said that the pilot “experienced a malfunction and was forced to eject” at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet.

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The search for the jet during the period it went missing prompted reactions from both the public and officials. Among them was South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) Sunday, "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?"

In the wake of the South Carolina incident as well as earlier ones, the Marine Corps announced "a two-day stand down in operations this week to discuss aviation safety matters and best practices" for all its aviation units. They added that the temporary halt starting on Monday will ensure the Marine Corps "remains a ready and highly-trained fighting force."

PEOPLE reached out to Joint Base Charleston and the Marine Corps Wednesday for additional updates about the pilot and the incident. 

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