Pilot of downed F-35 stealth fighter jet parachuted into residential backyard, official says

By JAMES POLLARD and TARA COPP

North Charleston, S.C. (AP) — The pilot of a $100 million stealth fighter jet parachuted safely into the backyard of a home in South Carolina after a malfunction forced him to eject from the aircraft, causing the plane to crash into a wooded area about 60 miles away. A Marine Corps official told The Associated Press that the aircraft was not found until the day after Sunday’s crash. At about 5 p.m. Monday, a South Carolina law enforcement helicopter located the jet and debris in a field near Indiantown, South Carolina. The pilot did not have serious injuries and has been released from the hospital.