US Navy says crashed F-35C plane raised from South China Sea

BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. Navy says it has recovered an F-35C Lightning II aircraft that crashed while attempting to land on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea in January, injuring seven sailors. The 7th Fleet said a robot submarine attached lines to the long-range joint strike stealth fighter, which was then raised from a depth of 12,400 feet Wednesday using a ship’s crane. The recovery alleviates concerns that China or Russia might reach it first and gain access to the advanced technology on board. The multimillion-dollar aircraft was conducting “routine flight operations” from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson when it crashed on Jan. 24. Leaked footage showed it coming in too low for a landing.