Just In: Body of pilot found after crash of U.S. military jet off UK coast

LONDON, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The body of a pilot was found on Monday afternoon after a U.S. military jet crashed into the North Sea off the coast of Yorkshire in northern England, British media reported.

The F-15 fighter jet crashed at around 9:40 a.m. BST (0840 GMT) and the Coastguard located the wreckage on Monday afternoon.

A major search-and-rescue operation was launched after the fighter jet came down during a training mission near Flamborough Head on Monday morning.

The aircraft was from the 48th Fighter Wing based at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath in Suffolk, according to the media reports.

In a statement, the 48th Fighter Wing confirmed the pilot had been found dead.

"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," said the statement.

In an earlier statement, the 48th Fighter Wing said "at the time of the accident the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board."

The cause of the crash is not yet known, it added.