Sunday afternoon, the plane crashed somewhere in the US state of South Carolina. The pilot managed to pull himself and his flight seat to safety, but no trace of the aircraft has been found since. In a statement to American media, a spokesman for the base let it be known that the plane’s transponder did not work. With such a transponder, the F-35 distinguishes friends from enemies and the aircraft can also be tracked by air traffic controllers. The reason why the device did not work is not yet clear. People with tips on the location of the crash were therefore asked to call the barracks.

Photo Rob Vogelaar