A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle crashed into the North Sea off the coast of England during a routine training exercise on Monday, June 15.
A spokesperson for the 48th Fighter Wing confirmed the crash in a statement to Business Insider. The cause of the pilot's crash and condition at this time is currently unknown.
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Where did it crash?
The US Air Force said in a statement that the F-15C Eagle crashed at about 9:40 a.m. The plane was in Suffolk from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, it added.
The UK Search and Rescue have been called in to assist the crashed aircraft and assist in searching for the crash site, Fox News reported.
The F-15C was part of the 48th Fighter Wing located 70 miles northeast of London, based at the UK's Royal Air Force Lakenheath.
The 48th Fighter Wing had earlier posted a photo of three jets in the air on Twitter Monday.
As part of a four-jet formation, the aircraft had been flying. BBC News Defense correspondent, Jonathan Beale, tweeted the plane incident.
Ready to take on Monday like...#WeAreLiberty! #ReadyAF pic.twitter.com/QrwCrHp5bv — RAF Lakenheath (@48FighterWing) June 15, 2020
There were sightings of two more fighter jets over Skegness at lunchtime, with one apparently in trouble, and dumping fuel. Since then, three Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers have been seen surrounding the crash site.
RAF spokesman Martin Tinworth said the plane had an "exceptional record of flight safety," The Telegraph reported.
The F15C, a single-seater air defense fighter, is a jet model used by the United States Air Force since 1979.
According to its Facebook page, the 48th Fighter Wing has played a crucial role in counter-terrorism operations and flying combat missions. It also provides fighting support for both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
RAF Lakenheath is the biggest in the U.S. Base operated by Air Force in England, which is home to at least 4,000 military personnel.
The 48th Fighter Wing is the only F-15 fighter wing of USAF based in Europe. During World War Two, Lakenheath was used exclusively by the RAF. It was abandoned at the end of the war as an operational base.
DailyMail said a U.S. military helicopter crashed off the east coast of England in 2014, killing all four crew on board.
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Other departments on its way for search and rescue operations
Defense and Security reporter Alistair Bunkall of Sky News said the area where the plane came down is being used for training missions by U.K. and U.S. military jets.
He added that, at the time of the incident, he understood four military jets were in the air.
After receiving reports that a plane had gone down 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head into the sea, the Coastguard said it was coordinating the response.
A helicopter was sent to the scene along with RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Scarborough.
The Coastguard said other vessels are almost heading to the scene after a Mayday broadcast.
