F-35 Fighter Jet Missing in S.C. After Pilot Ejects Following 'Mishap'

The U.S. military needs help tracking down one of its fighter jets after it disappeared following a "mishap" this weekend ... crazy thing is, it might still be flying around, unmanned.

The F-35 -- an elite aircraft -- has been labeled missing by officials over at South Carolina's Joint Base Charleston ... which sent a PSA out to the public on Sunday, saying they couldn't find this particular stealth jet after the pilot ejected in some kind of training exercise.

They tweeted, "We’re working with @MCASBeaufortSC to locate an F-35 that was involved in a mishap this afternoon. The pilot ejected safely. If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center."

Now, as for what exactly happened that led to the pilot needing to eject ... they're not saying. What we do know is the F-35 was in autopilot mode when the pilot bailed.

Another weird thing ... the Air Force is NOT using the word "crash" to describe where this jet could possibly be. You'd think that'd be what's going on here -- but they're using very careful language right now, refusing to say whether they think it's in the air or not.

That's led many to speculate the jet continues to soar, zombie-style. The AF says they're looking Around Lake Moultrie/Lake Marion based on the jet's last-known position -- and they're coordinating with the FAA to pinpoint it.