The United Kingdom’s Prince Charles had to cancel a planned trip to the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier after a plane crashed into the ocean.
An F35B jet from the HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is the UK’s largest aircraft carrier, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on November 17th, causing Prince Charles’ planned trip to be cancelled.
Fortunately, the pilot of the plane was able to eject just before the crash and was safely returned to the ship.
“A British F35 pilot from HMS Queen Elizabeth ejected during routine flying operations in the Mediterranean this morning,” a spokesperson for the defense ministry said. “The pilot has been safely returned to the ship and an investigation has begun, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
There have not yet been any reports as to what caused the jet to crash.
At the time, Prince Charles was on a visit to Egypt. The next stop on his schedule was to visit the HMS Queen Elizabeth on the coast off of Alexandria. According to a spokesperson, the visit had to be cancelled for operational reasons.
The jet that crashed was a Lockheed Martin F35B, which is capable of conducting air-to-surface, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering, and air-to-air missions simultaneously, according to information on the plane obtained from the British air force. It can also operate undetected in hostile airspace thanks to secret technology.
