U.S. Fighter Jet Reportedly Crashes Near Air Base In England

By Bill Chappell / NPR

Published October 21, 2015 at 2:08 AM PDT

This story was published more than 9 years ago.

A fighter jet that took off from RAF Lakenheath airbase crashed in a rural area west of the base, near the town of Ely. The area is about 80 miles north-northeast of London.

After reports emerged Wednesday of a crashed plane northeast of Cambridge, England, it appears that the craft may have been a U.S. fighter jet. British media are reporting that it was a single-seat F-18 Hornet; the Pentagon says it's trying to determine the particulars of the case.

The plane had taken off from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk; its pilot was killed by the crash, according to a Cambridgeshire police spokesperson.

According to Cambridge News, the plane had been on its way back to the U.S. after being deployed in the Middle East.

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This is a developing story; we'll update this post as more news comes in.

The crash occurred in a rural area near the town of Ely, in a region that's dominated by farmland.

The area of the crash includes two air bases that are only a few miles apart; despite their official designation as RAF air stations, both serve as hosts to U.S. Air Force units. RAF Lakenheath is home to the F-15s of the 48th Fighter Wing; RAF Mildenhall hosts the 100th Air Refueling Wing.