The pilot of the US Air Force F15C fighter aircraft that crashed off the East Yorkshire coast has been found dead, RAF Lakenheath said.

The name of the pilot will not be released until his family have been informed, it added.

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

The cause of the crash is not known.

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 sent to the area.

The Coastguard also sent a Mayday broadcast, resulting in other vessels nearby heading there.