An F-35B jump jet practices vertical landing at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. (US Marine Corps)
UPDATED 9/18/2023 at 7:27 pm ET with Joint Base Charleston’s announcement that the missing F-35’s “debris field” was located in South Carolina.
Acting Marines Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith today issued a two-day stand down for all Marine aviation units, following a six-week stretch that saw two fatal accidents followed by a 24-hour jet-hunt for a missing stealth fighter.
In a press release, the Marine Corps said that with “three Class-A aviation mishaps over the last six weeks,” Smith “directed all Marine Corps aviation units to conduct a two-day pause in operations this week to discuss aviation safety matters and best practices.
“During the safety stand down, aviation commanders will lead discussions with their Marines focusing on the fundamentals of safe flight operations, ground safety, maintenance and flight procedures, and maintaining combat readiness,” the release continues.
The stand down order, which was first reported by ABC News, didn’t identify the three incidents in question, but it follows two fatal crashes last month — one involving an MV-22 Osprey in Australia that killed three US Marines and injured others, and another that killed an F/A-18 pilot in California — and then the safe ejection Sunday by an F-35 pilot that sparked a search for the missing jet. The F-35 wasn’t located until Monday evening, shortly after Smith’s stand down order.
“This pause invests time and energy in reinforcing the Marine aviation community’s established policies, practices and procedures in the interests of public safety, protecting our Marines and sailors, and ensuring the Marine Corps remains a ready and highly-trained fighting force,” the Marines said.
Smith was previously nominated as the next commandant but has served in an acting role since July.