US fighter plane crashes off coast of northeast England

The F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing was on a routine training mission from RAF Lakenheath when it crashed at 9:40 a.m. local time (4:40 a.m. EDT). The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately clear.

A U.S. Air Force fighter plane with one pilot on board crashed into the North Sea on Monday. The status of the pilot wasn’t known.

U.K. search and rescue authorities are taking part in the search of the crash site. (AP (Representative Image))

The F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing was on a routine training mission from RAF Lakenheath when it crashed at 9:40 a.m. local time (4:40 a.m. EDT). The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately clear.

U.K. search and rescue authorities are taking part in the search of the crash site.

Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force base that hosts the U.S. Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Liberty Wing. The base is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of London.