Marines say F-35 feature to protect pilot could explain why it flew 60 miles on its own

By TARA COPP
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Marine Corps said a feature meant to protect its pilot in case of an emergency could potentially explain how the $100 million F-35 advanced fighter jet may have been able to fly for 60 miles without anyone in the cockpit before crashing in a rural area in South Carolina.  The plane crashed Sunday after a malfunction prompted the pilot to eject over Charleston and land in a residential backyard just about a mile from Charleston International Airport. However the plane kept flying until it crashed near Indiantown, S.C., and it took more than a day for authorities to find the wreckage.