U.S. fighter plane crashes off English coast, pilot missing

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter is seen during NATO Baltic air policing mission takeover ceremony in Siauliai, Lithuania August 30, 2017. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A U.S. fighter plane crashed off the coast of northeast England on Monday, sparking a search and rescue operation for the pilot in the North Sea.

 

The U.S. Air Force said the F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing crashed at around 0940 local time (0840 GMT).

 

"At the time of the accident, the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board," it said.

 

"The cause of the crash as well as the status of the pilot are unknown at this time and UK Search and Rescue have been called to support."

 

Representatives for the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

The aircraft was from RAF Lakenheath, the largest U.S. Air Force-operated base in England and the only U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) F-15 fighter wing. It is located about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Cambridge.

 

In 2014, a U.S. military helicopter crashed on the coast of eastern England, killing all four crew on board.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-15

 

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fingers crossed 

Sadly, they've found the body.

RIP

If Europe wasn't broken they wouldn't be needed.

 

9 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

Sadly, they've found the body.

RIP

I don't have much sympathy for pilots of bombers who roam the skies with impunity while bombing the innocent below. Killing, maiming and blighting lives of women children and other guiltless, is not what I call heroic. I think war is the ultimate evil.

I realise this will be an unpopular view and thought it through before posting it.  

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

I don't have much sympathy for pilots of bombers who roam the skies with impunity while bombing the innocent below. Killing, maiming and blighting lives of women children and other guiltless, is not what I call heroic. I think war is the ultimate evil.

I realise this will be an unpopular view and thought it through before posting it.  

 

You're right, it's unpopular! If you want to blame someone, blame the respective Governments who make those decisions, not this poor sod who lost his life.

 

People elect governments, and people like you support the military and the bombing and the loss of innocent life. We can agree to disagree, but I still think war is evil, the ultimate evil. And those who promote war as a political policy, like Pompeo, are doing evil in the world. America is no longer a force for good in the world.

19 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

People elect governments, and people like you support the military and the bombing and the loss of innocent life. We can agree to disagree, but I still think war is evil, the ultimate evil. And those who promote war as a political policy, like Pompeo, are doing evil in the world. America is no longer a force for good in the world.

 

Of course war is evil and how do you know what I think?. I am not American. I have two brothers in the military who spend a lot of their time helping communities with water sanitation, improving electrical supplies and on occassions protecting areas that are in conflict, not because of the Americans but because of local warmongers who are hell bent on wiping out innocents.

 

The real problem is Governments and politicans, it always has been and always will be.

 

2 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

I don't have much sympathy for pilots of bombers who roam the skies with impunity while bombing the innocent below. Killing, maiming and blighting lives of women children and other guiltless, is not what I call heroic. I think war is the ultimate evil.

I realise this will be an unpopular view and thought it through before posting it.  

There's a shoal of fish in the North Sea who agree with you.

2 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

I don't have much sympathy for pilots of bombers who roam the skies with impunity while bombing the innocent below. Killing, maiming and blighting lives of women children and other guiltless, is not what I call heroic. I think war is the ultimate evil.

I realise this will be an unpopular view and thought it through before posting it.  

They are up there to protect us down below, and if it wasn't for pilots, we would have been in every war a lot longer and lost countless more lives. yes, collateral damage happens from bombing, and it's never a good thing, but it's a lot safer way then ground troops, and other countries fear our Air Force, and that's a good thing. Training runs, although things like this happen, are the reason the US has the best fighter pilots in the world, and another reason other countries fear us. War is never a good thing but sometimes it's necessary. I understand your view completely, but this isn't a safe world and evil has to be eliminated.

Edited June 16, 20206 yr by fredwiggy

53 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

People elect governments, and people like you support the military and the bombing and the loss of innocent life. We can agree to disagree, but I still think war is evil, the ultimate evil. And those who promote war as a political policy, like Pompeo, are doing evil in the world. America is no longer a force for good in the world.

We support the military because without them this world would be a series of wars that would never end. The military ends the wars. The politicians start them, and they have their own agenda, albeit a necessary one in many instances. America is known for sticking it's nose in other people's business, because America is all nations together, and we don't like to see anyone from any nation taken advantage of. Going overboard at times, but we have the technology and firepower to find and destroy a lot of (now) terrorists before they can strike and kill innocent lives. 

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

People elect governments, and people like you support the military and the bombing and the loss of innocent life. We can agree to disagree, but I still think war is evil, the ultimate evil. And those who promote war as a political policy, like Pompeo, are doing evil in the world. America is no longer a force for good in the world.

"People elect governments, and people like you support the military and the bombing and the loss of innocent life".

Just out of curiosity, which government did you help elect?  Presumably it's one that doesn't have an air force, yes?

Edited June 16, 20206 yr by Bob A Kneale

28 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

the US has the best fighter pilots in the world

...well, after the RAF, of course.

Edited June 16, 20206 yr by Bob A Kneale

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

People elect governments, and people like you support the military and the bombing and the loss of innocent life. We can agree to disagree, but I still think war is evil, the ultimate evil. And those who promote war as a political policy, like Pompeo, are doing evil in the world. America is no longer a force for good in the world.

Couldn't you have waited until after the funeral? ????

Edited June 16, 20206 yr by evadgib

Just now, Bob A Kneale said:

...well, after the RAF, of course.

I would say it's close, but we do have more resources.

23 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

I don't have much sympathy for pilots of bombers who roam the skies with impunity while bombing the innocent below. Killing, maiming and blighting lives of women children and other guiltless, is not what I call heroic. I think war is the ultimate evil.

I realise this will be an unpopular view and thought it through before posting it.  

You are correct, it is not popular and also in poor taste given the circumstances. 

I suspect the words from the movie :

Truth?, you can't handle the truth. 

You rely on these people to keep us safe but don't like what they do in doing it. 

Hipocritical in the extreme, bah humbug.