US Fighter Aircraft Pilot Killed In North Sea Crash Named As 1st Lt Kenneth Allen

Lt Allen was "perfect" and "my best friend", his heartbroken wife Hannah Allen said in a Facebook post.
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The pilot killed when his fighter jet crashed off the north-east coast of England on Monday morning 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.

The US Air Force said the pilot arrived at the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk earlier this year and is survived by his wife and parents.

His wife, Hannah Allen, paid tribute in a post on Facebook and described him as “the love of my life”.

She added: “He is gone. I’m shaking. No words to express how shaken I am.

“Kage was perfect, never been treated with more love and respect in my life.

“He was my absolute best friend and man Christ needs hurry up and come back so I can be with Kage again.

“Thanks for all the messages. I love you all, Kage loves you all.”

Col Will Marshall, commander of 48th Fighter Wing, said in a statement: “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 co-ordinated 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.

The cause of the crash is not known and an investigation is under way, PA Media reports.

The F-15C is a model of jet that has been used by the US Air Force since 1979.

In October 2014, an F-15D 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.