UPDATE: US Marine Corps pilot killed in F 18 jet crash

UPDATED: The pilot of a US F 18 fighter jet which crashed on a farm near Ely by the Suffolk border on Wednesday October 21 has died.

The Hornet aircraft took off from RAF Lakenheath but was not connected to the base, and crashed four miles from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that the pilot was the only crew member.

A US air force official said that the jet was part of fleet of six fighter jets travelling from Bahrain to Miramar, California.

The other five FA-18 Hornets safely diverted to the RAF Lossiemouth airfield in Scotland.

Karen Miles-Holdaway, from Redmere, witnessed the crash and she told the BBC that she thought the pilot did very well to keep away from any houses.

The latest statement from the US Marine Corps reads as follows:

“United Kingdom authorities have officially confirmed the death of the pilot, but it is unknown at this time if the pilot ejected from the single-seat aircraft.”

A US single seater F 18 fighter jet has crashed in the Fens in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday morning October 21.

The crash happened five miles north west of RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

There is no word at this time on the pilot.

Emergency services are at the scene on a farm close to Ely which is near to the Suffolk border.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said “We are currently at the scene of a plane crash on farmland in Redmere, Ely.”

“Details are sketchy at this stage and it is not known if there are any casualties,” he added.

A RAF Lakenheath spokeswoman confirmed the location of the incident and said there was no further “releasable” information at this time.

The RAF added they are awaiting new details and will release more information shortly.