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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| US air force jet crashes into North Sea during training mission | US air force jet crashes into North Sea during training mission |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Search and rescue teams deployed after F-15 crashes off coast of north-east England | Search and rescue teams deployed after F-15 crashes off coast of north-east England |
| A US air force F-15 aircraft based in the UK has crashed into the North Sea off the Yorkshire coast while on a training mission. | A US air force F-15 aircraft based in the UK has crashed into the North Sea off the Yorkshire coast while on a training mission. |
| The status of the pilot onboard is unknown following the crash, which happened on a routine training mission at about 9.40am on Monday. UK search and rescue teams were being deployed to try to locate the pilot. | The status of the pilot onboard is unknown following the crash, which happened on a routine training mission at about 9.40am on Monday. UK search and rescue teams were being deployed to try to locate the pilot. |
| The pilot and plane are part of the 48th Fighter Wing stationed at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, home to the largest US air force base in England. | The pilot and plane are part of the 48th Fighter Wing stationed at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, home to the largest US air force base in England. |
| A statement from the 48th said the causes of the accident were not yet known. | A statement from the 48th said the causes of the accident were not yet known. |
| The jet involved was an F-15C, a single-seater version of the long-established Boeing twin engine fighter, which has been used by the US air force since 1979. | The jet involved was an F-15C, a single-seater version of the long-established Boeing twin engine fighter, which has been used by the US air force since 1979. |
| The coastguard said it received reports of a plane going down into the sea 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head on the Yorkshire coast. “The HM Coastguard helicopter from Humberside has been sent along with Bridlington and Scarborough RNLI lifeboats,” a spokesman added. | The coastguard said it received reports of a plane going down into the sea 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head on the Yorkshire coast. “The HM Coastguard helicopter from Humberside has been sent along with Bridlington and Scarborough RNLI lifeboats,” a spokesman added. |
| Col Will Marshall, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing, known also as the Liberty Wing, said in a video update that the pilot of the aircraft was still missing. The senior officer said he was grateful for the timely response of UK search and rescue teams and added that the unit remained “hopeful that our Liberty wing airman will be located and recovered”. | |
| The 48th Fighter Wing, which has operated from Lakenheath since 1960, has more than 4,500 “active-duty military members”. Its mission statement is to “provide worldwide responsive combat air power and support”. | The 48th Fighter Wing, which has operated from Lakenheath since 1960, has more than 4,500 “active-duty military members”. Its mission statement is to “provide worldwide responsive combat air power and support”. |
| In October 2014, an F-15D fighter jet based at Lakenheath crashed in fields near Spalding in Lincolnshire. The pilot ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries, and no one on the ground was hurt. | In October 2014, an F-15D fighter jet based at Lakenheath crashed in fields near Spalding in Lincolnshire. The pilot ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries, and no one on the ground was hurt. |
| A US air force investigation found the crash was caused by the “angle of attack” of the aircraft and imperfections in the assembly of the jet’s nose cap. | A US air force investigation found the crash was caused by the “angle of attack” of the aircraft and imperfections in the assembly of the jet’s nose cap. |
| In October 2015, the US pilot Maj Taj Sareen died when his F/A-18 Hornet jet crashed on farmland near Lakenheath. A subsequent investigation found the 34-year-old did not report problems with his aircraft before takeoff. | In October 2015, the US pilot Maj Taj Sareen died when his F/A-18 Hornet jet crashed on farmland near Lakenheath. A subsequent investigation found the 34-year-old did not report problems with his aircraft before takeoff. |