F-15D

A US Air Force (USAF) F-15D Eagle fighter aircraft has crashed in an isolated field in Lincolnshire, UK.

The unarmed plane belonged to the 48th Fighter Wing based at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath in Suffolk, and went down during a combat training exercise.

The USAF said in a statement: "One person was onboard the aircraft at the time and ejected safely.

"An HH-60G Pave Hawk transported the pilot back safely.

"The pilot is now being evaluated at the RAF Lakenheath hospital.

"A board of qualified officers will investigate the accident.

"Additional details will be provided as soon as they become available."

While the statement withheld the location of crash, local media reported the site to be a field off Broad Gate, Weston Hills, near Spalding.

"The pilot is now being evaluated at the RAF Lakenheath hospital."

A Lincolnshire Police statement said: "The plane has come down in an isolated rural area and no premises have been affected.

"A cordon has been put in place and the public are advised to avoid the area as the plane is alight and the fumes may be hazardous."

In August, an F-15C all-weather tactical fighter aircraft crashed during a cross-country mission near Deerfield, Virginia, US, killing the pilot.

Manufactured by Boeing, the F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat, and also features secondary ground-attack capability.

Several F-15C variants are currently in service with air forces worldwide, including Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia, as well as the US.


Image: A USAF F-15 Eagle aircraft prepares to take off from RAF Lakenheath, UK. Photo: courtesy of US Air Force / Senior Airman Tiffany M. Deuel.

Defence Technology