The pilot of the U.S. Air Force F-15 Fighter Jet who died on Monday, June 15, has been identified on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom.
According to the statement, the pilot was identified as First Lieutenant Kenneth Allen, who was the assistant chief of weapons and tactics for the 493rd Fighter Squadron. His family had been contacted regarding his passing.
According to previous reports, Allen was on the aircraft on a routine training mission when the fighter jet crashed in the North Sea at around 9:40 a.m. on Monday.
The fighter jet was identified later to be from the 48th Fighter Wing belonging to the Royal Air Force in Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.
At the time, the cause of the crash was unknown, but the Air Force’s search and rescue team had been dispatched to help with the situation.
In a statement to CNN from Her Majesty’s Coastguard, they indicated that at the time of the crash, they had received reports of “an aeroplane going down into the sea 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head.”
The F-15 Fighter Jet was later located by the coastguard, according to another previous statement regarding the crash. The coastguards found the wreckage of the jet, and immediately began the recovery process. The search team kept on going, trying to locate Allen.
Later on in the day, Allen was found by the search team, and he was confirmed on Monday to be deceased. At the time, his identity had not yet been made public, according to the third updated statement, which indicated that the pilot’s next of kin had to be informed of his death first.
Colonel Will Marshall, the 48th Fighter Commander, offered his condolences in the 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.”
Woody Johnson, the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, also offered his condolences to Allen in a post on Twitter: “It is with great sorrow that we have learned of the loss of our Airman today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to family, friends and U.S. Forces in the UK.”
According to the statement, Allen came to the 48th Fighter Wing back in February 2020.
