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| U.S. Fighter Jet Crashes in Britain, With One Pilot Aboard | U.S. Fighter Jet Crashes in Britain, With One Pilot Aboard |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| LONDON — An American fighter jet crashed on Monday on a routine training flight off the northeast coast of England, the United States Air Force said. | LONDON — An American fighter jet crashed on Monday on a routine training flight off the northeast coast of England, the United States Air Force said. |
| A British search and rescue team was helping to search for the one pilot who was aboard, but visibility and weather were poor, a U.S. military official said. | |
| The jet, a U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle, was stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, a military base in Suffolk, in eastern England. It crashed in the North Sea around 9:40 a.m. as it flew in a four-plane formation drill. | |
| “The cause of the crash as well as the status of the pilot are unknown at this time,” the Air Force said in a statement. | “The cause of the crash as well as the status of the pilot are unknown at this time,” the Air Force said in a statement. |
| There was no immediate indication that the pilot had made a distress call before crashing, the U.S. military official said. It was unclear whether or not the pilot had ejected. | |
| The Lakenheath base posted a picture on Twitter early Monday morning of several single-seater jets in flight. “Ready to take on Monday like…,” the post said. “#WeAreLiberty! #ReadyAF” | The Lakenheath base posted a picture on Twitter early Monday morning of several single-seater jets in flight. “Ready to take on Monday like…,” the post said. “#WeAreLiberty! #ReadyAF” |
| The 48th Fighter Wing, the unit stationed at Lakenheath, is the American Air Force’s only F-15 fighter unit in Europe. Also known as the Statue of Liberty Wing, it has historically played an important role in the U.S. Air Force in Europe’s combat operations. | The 48th Fighter Wing, the unit stationed at Lakenheath, is the American Air Force’s only F-15 fighter unit in Europe. Also known as the Statue of Liberty Wing, it has historically played an important role in the U.S. Air Force in Europe’s combat operations. |
| The unit led strikes against targets in Libya ordered by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and deployed in the Persian Gulf war several years later. | The unit led strikes against targets in Libya ordered by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and deployed in the Persian Gulf war several years later. |
| At Lakenheath, demolition work began on a number of buildings last year to clear space for the construction of a flight simulator, a maintenance unit, new hangars and storage facilities, the British Ministry of Defense said last year. | At Lakenheath, demolition work began on a number of buildings last year to clear space for the construction of a flight simulator, a maintenance unit, new hangars and storage facilities, the British Ministry of Defense said last year. |
| The ministry said the base would become the first permanent international site for U.S. Air Force F-35s in Europe. | The ministry said the base would become the first permanent international site for U.S. Air Force F-35s in Europe. |