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US Air Force
An F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath crashed into the North Sea on Monday
The body of a pilot has been recovered after a US Air Force fighter jet crashed into the North Sea.
The F-15C Eagle, from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, crashed shortly after 09:30 BST while on a training mission.
The wreckage of the plane, thought to have crashed 74 nautical miles off the East Yorkshire coast, was found earlier.
The cause of the crash is currently unknown.
A spokeswoman for the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath said: “The pilot of the downed F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing has been located, and confirmed deceased.
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“The name of the pilot will not be released until all next of kin notifications have been made.
“This is a tragic loss for the 48th Fighter Wing community, and our deepest condolences go out to the pilot’s family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron.”
The F15C, a single-seater air defence fighter, is a model of jet that has been used by the US Air Force since 1979.
RAF Lakenheath is the largest US Air Force-operated base in England and home to its only F-15 fighter wing in Europe.
More than 4,000 US service men and women are stationed there.
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The 48th Fighter Wing shared an image of three jets in flight on Monday morning.
In October 2015, US pilot Maj Taj Sareen died when his F-18 Hornet jet crashed on farmland near RAF Lakenheath.
A subsequent investigation found the 34-year-old had not reported any problems with his aircraft prior to take-off.
