Cleanup efforts by U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps underway following F35 jet crash earlier this month

FLORENCE, SC (WPDE)–(WOLO)– Cleanup efforts by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps are underway following the F35 Stealth Fighter Jet crash near Florence on September 17, 2023.
Investigators say they are leading the aircraft recovery and environmental cleanup in Williamsburg county.

The F35 jet went missing after the pilot ejected near North Charleston. According to Joint Base Charleston, personnel from Joint Base Charleston and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, in close coordination with local authorities,  debris was located in a field in Williamsburg County. 

 Investigators say they will remove damaged timber and crops as necessary at the crash site and and sample soil, to determine the boundaries of the area, that will need to be restored.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.