Missing F-35 fighter jet found in rural South Carolina, not Cuba | Fact check

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
·3 min read
26

The claim: Missing F-35 fighter jet landed in Cuba

A Sept. 19 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) shows Infowars host Owen Shroyer talking about a missing fighter jet.

"US Military Loses an F-35 After Pilot Ejects, Reportedly Landed in Cuba FOX BREAKING NEWS," reads the video's caption.

The video was shared more than 200 times in six days.

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Our rating: False

The fighter jet's debris field was found by authorities in a field in rural South Carolina. A spokesperson for Fox News confirmed the network did not report the aircraft landed in Cuba.

F-35 fighter jet's debris field found in rural South Carolina

On Sept. 17, a Marine pilot was flying an F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet at about 1,000 feet when he ejected and parachuted into a backyard in North Charleston, South Carolina. The plane kept on flying after the pilot ejected and was briefly considered "missing" before the wreckage of the plane was found in a field in Indiantown, South Carolina, the next day, as USA TODAY previously reported.

The aircraft began its flight from Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and was part of a training squadron with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Marine Corps is handling the investigation.

A Sept. 19 article by the Associated Press included a video from the crash site in South Carolina.

Fact check: The first female F-35 fighter pilot has never crashed a plane, contrary to claims

While some details about the incident haven't been released, there are no credible reports that the missing fighter jet landed in Cuba, as the video claims.

The video's caption cited Fox News as the source of the information, but the network told USA TODAY it never reported such information.

"I can confirm Fox News did not report this claim," said spokesperson Sofie Watson.

There is no mention of the fighter jet's supposed arrival in any recent statements from Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debris from F-35 jet found in South Carolina, not Cuba | Fact check