Debris Found After Japanese F-35A Stealth Fighter Crashes at Sea
- Second crash of the jet, whose pilot remains missing
- Japan is one of pricey Lockheed fighter’s biggest customers
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Possible debris from a Japanese F-35A stealth fighter that crashed during an exercise over the Pacific Ocean has been found at sea in what would be the costly jet’s second crash in less than a year.
The plane and its pilot, a man in his 40s, went missing about 135 kilometers (85 miles) off the Japanese coast Tuesday after departing Misawa Air Base on the northeastern corner of Honshu Island, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force said in a statement. A part of what’s believed to the the plane’s tail was spotted floating near where it disappeared, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Wednesday.