Then, there is the lack of fire/smoke on the ground, in the woods. I have no idea where the fuel valves might be on an F-35 but, if the pilot has access to one/them it might be that he didn’t turn one on? We already know he didn’t get his transponder/locator on so what else did he miss on his pre-flight check list? Lack of any fire might mean the engine was cold when it hit the trees.
The way this has been presented, an F-35 that:
a. disappeared visually and electronically
b. crashed
is less of a "big deal" than a CAP cadet forgetting to put the pitot tube cover back on a Cessna 172.