CAIRO (REUTERS) - Britain's Prince Charles has cancelled a planned visit to the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier after an F-35B jet from the ship crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.

The F-35 fighter from Britain's biggest aircraft carrier crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday (Nov 17), though the pilot ejected and was safely returned to the ship.

Prince Charles, on a visit to Egypt, had been due to visit the ship which is off Alexandria. But the visit to the ship was cancelled for operational reasons, a spokesman said.

The Lockheed Martin F35B is capable of conducting air-to-surface, electronic warfare, intelligence gathering and air-to-air missions simultaneously, according to the British air force.

It can operate undetected in hostile airspace due to secret technology.