F-35 Jet Is Missing After Pilot Parachutes Free in South Carolina

The authorities on Monday were asking for the public’s help in finding an F-35 jet that disappeared after a U.S. Marine pilot used an emergency parachute to eject from it Sunday afternoon in North Charleston, S.C.

The pilot, who was unidentified, was in an F-35 from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. He was taken to a local medical center and his condition was stable late Sunday, Jeremy Huggins, a spokesman for Joint Base Charleston, said.

It was unclear why the pilot needed to eject.

Based on the jet’s last-known position, the base was focusing on an area around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, Joint Base Charleston said late on Sunday, adding that it was seeking the public’s help.

The authorities asked anyone with information about the missing jet’s location to pass along tips.

Christine Hauser contributed reporting.