Ground controllers don't always watch, Tower does. He was airborne away from the field, departure may not have had him. Doesn't explain the punch out, does explain how the ac wasn't tracked afterward. Pretty stout to take an ejection and still fly at 1k. Had to have some severe aerodynamic disruption.
This F-35 fubar is reminding me of an incident a couple decades ago when a fighter, F4 Phantom, I think, flamed out over farmland. Pilot went squishy and bailed. But the engine didn’t stop, just kept running at an idle. The plane didn’t stall but just idled down, wheels up, and belly landed in a snow covered plowed field. The farmer saw it and called the sheriff who was able to climb in and kill the engine. The plane was inching along the plowed ground, completely intact, until they killed the engine.
The planes usually do OK by themselves. It’s most likely the bottom of the class guys who screw up.