Fighter pilot whose jet crashed into the North Sea named

Lt Kenneth Allen is survived by his wife and parents

A US fighter pilot who died when his jet crashed into the North Sea off the north-east coast of England has been named by the US air force as 1st Lt Kenneth Allen.

Lt Allen's F15C Eagle crashed at around 9.40am on Monday while on a routine training exercise.

The American airman had served with the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk since February this year and was assistant chief of weapons and tactics for the 493rd Fighter Squadron.

An American F15 aircraft

He is survived by his wife and parents.

The US air force said in a statement that next of kin notifications were complete.

Colonel Will Marshall, commander of 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 493rd Fighter Squadron.

"The tremendous outpouring of love and support from our communities has been a ray of light in this time of darkness."

HM Coastguard, which coordinated the search efforts, said it received reports that an aircraft went into the sea 74 nautical miles (85 miles) off the coast of Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.

Wreckage was located before the pilot was found and confirmed to be deceased.

The cause of the crash is not known and an investigation is underway.

The F15C is a model of jet that has been used by the US Air Force since 1979.

In October 2014, an F15D fighter jet based at RAF Lakenheath crashed in fields near Spalding in Lincolnshire.

The pilot ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries, and no-one on the ground was hurt.

A US air force investigation found that the crash was caused by the "angle of attack" of the aircraft and "imperfections" in the assembly of the jet's nose cap.

In October 2015, US pilot Major Taj Sareen died when his F-18 Hornet jet crashed on farmland near RAF Lakenheath.

A subsequent investigation found the 34-year-old did not report problems with his aircraft before take-off.

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