The pilot of the US Air Force F15C fighter aircraft that crashed off the north-east coast of England has been found dead - RAF Lakenheath have said.

In a update issued shortly after 6pm, a spokesman from the Suffolk base said that the name of the pilot who died when his fighter plane crashed off the Yorkshire coast will not be released until his family have been informed.

“This is a tragic loss for the 48th Fighter Wing community, and our deepest condolences go out to the pilot’s family and the 493rd Fighter Squadron,” a spokesman said.

The wreckage of the American fighter jet was located earlier this afternoon.

The single-seater US Air Force F15C Eagle, from the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, crashed at about 9.40am on Monday while on a routine training exercise.

The cause of the crash is not yet known.

In an earlier statement, RAF Lakenheath said on Monday afternoon: “Search efforts by Her Majesty’s Coastguard have located wreckage from the downed F15C Eagle and recovery efforts are under way.”

HM Coastguard said on Monday morning that it had received reports that an aircraft went into the sea 74 miles off the coast of Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.

A Coastguard helicopter and Bridlington and Scarborough RNLI lifeboats were all sent to the area to assist in the search.

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

RAF Lakenheath is the “largest US Air Force-operated base in England and the only US air forces in Europe F15 fighter wing”, its website said.

The 48th Fighter Wing, which has operated from the base since 1960, has more than 4,500 “active-duty military members”.

Its mission statement is to “provide worldwide responsive combat air power and support”.

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.