US pilot killed in North Sea crash named as Kenneth Allen
The pilot killed after his US Air Force fighter jet crashed off the UK coast has been named as 1st Lt. Kenneth Allen.
The F-15C Eagle, from the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, crashed at around 9.40am yesterday.
HM Coastguard found the wreckage of the pilot’s aircraft yesterday afternoon after it crashed 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head on the East Yorkshire coast.
The US Air Force said Allen had arrived at the 48th Fighter Wing at Lakenheath earlier this year and is survived by his wife and parents.
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The reason for the crash is not yet known. The 48th Fighter Wing said at the time of the incident that the pilot had been participating in a training mission.
In a statement, Colonel Will Marshall, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lt Allen and mourn with his family and his fellow Reapers in the 492rd Fighter Squadron.”
“The tremendous outpouring of love and support from our communities has been a ray of light in this time of darkness.”
RAF Lakenheath is the largest US Air Force-operated base in England and is home to its only F-1 fighter wing in Europe. More than 4,000 US service men and women are stationed at the base.
In 2015, US pilot Major Taj Sareen died when his F-18 Hornet jet crashed near the Suffolk base. An investigation found that Sareen had not reported any problems with his aircraft before take-off.
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