US fighter plane crashes off England’s coast, pilot missing | UK News
A United States fighter plane has crashed off the coast of northeast England, sparking a search and rescue operation for the pilot in the North Sea.
The US Air Force said the F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing crashed on Monday around 9:40 am local time (08:40 GMT).
“At the time of the accident, the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board,” it said.
“The cause of the crash as well as the status of the pilot are unknown at this time, and UK Search and Rescue have been called to support.”
The aircraft was from RAF Lakenheath, the largest US Air Force-operated base in England and the only US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE) F-15 fighter wing.
It is located about 25 miles (40km) northeast of Cambridge.
In 2014, a US military helicopter crashed on the coast of eastern England, killing all four crew on board.
