Inside a Marine's decision to eject from a failing F-35B fighter jet and the betrayal in its wake

Inside a Marine's decision to eject from a failing F-35B fighter jet and the betrayal in its wake

South Carolina Marine Col. Charles Del Pizzo ejected from a failing F-35B stealth fighter jet in 2023, landing in a North Charleston yard near the CHS Airport.

The fighter jet flew on for 12 minutes without a pilot. The pilot was retired and explained his view of things.

Helmdisplay, radio and navigation failed, and a US fighter pilot struggled in close contact for control of his F-35B. His decision saved his life but cost him his career. Now Charles Del Pizzo took his side of history. (Read more)

Sacked Marine Pilot Whose F-35B Flew Without Him After Ejecting Gives His Side Of The Story

The Marines partially blamed Charles “Tre” Del Pizzo for the loss of his F-35B Joint Strike Fighter that flew pilotless for nearly 12 minutes before slamming into the ground following his ejection back in September 2023. Now the 48-year-old retired colonel is giving his side of the story. In a truly amazing piece by Post and Courier reporter Tony Bartelme, Del Pizzo pushed back on the Marine Corps’ findings, saying he was essentially blinded in …

Pilot Speaks Out: Col. Del Pizzo on His F-35B Ejection and the Aftermath

More than a year after a bizarre and widely publicized incident in which a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B continued flying for over 60 miles after its pilot ejected, new details have surfaced. Col. Charles “Tre” Del Pizzo, the Marine aviator at the center of the event, recently broke his silence in an interview with The Post and Courier, shedding light on the terrifying moment he was forced to eject—and the controversial aftermath that ultimately ended…

How 41 Seconds Changed the Life of a Marine F-35B Pilot

U.S. Marine Col. Charles “Tre” Del Pizzo gives his account of the ejection from an F-35B which continued to fly on its own in 2023. More than a year after the bizarre incident in which a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B continued flying on its own after the pilot ejected, new details emerged online. These details […] The post How 41 Seconds Changed the Life of a Marine F-35B Pilot appeared first on The Aviationist.