Emergency services in eastern England say a plane has crashed near an air base, and the U.S. Air Force says it investigating.
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A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: “We are now at the scene of a plane crash on farmland in Redmere, Ely”. The F-18 Hornet was reported to be among a number that had just returned to US-operated RAF Lakenheath after a spell of service fighting Isis in Syria, and was believed to be setting off back to the USA when the crash occurred.
It was held by US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa officials following the crash of the the USAF F-15 Eagle aircraft.
‘All I can see at the minute is blue flashing lights near a parachute.
The Navy jet was taking off from RAF Lakenheath, but was not connected to the base.
One eye-witness said she saw the plane “explode” in mid-air moments after the pilot ejected from the cockpit.
The pilot of a single-seater American fighter jet which has crashed in the Cambridgeshire Fens has been killed, it has been confirmed. Matthew Barzun, the USA ambassador to Britain, tweeted: “The loss in Cambridgeshire today is awful news, my thoughts & prayers are with all involved”.
In January past year four crew members died after a U.S. military helicopter, based at Lakenheath, crashed on the north Norfolk coast.
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“No firefighting or rescue action was required, but they remained on scene in a support capacity”, a spokeswoman said. The pilot was not seriously hurt.
