US fighter jet crashes in Virginia

A US F-15C Eagle fighter jet crashed Wednesday morning near Deerfield in Virginia during a routine mission, Pentagon confirmed.

"Air Force and civilian first responders are responding to the scene," Xinhua quoted spokesman Steve Warren as saying.

Warren also added that the status of the pilot was not known yet.

The fighter lost radio contact with the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in the state of Massachusetts during a cross-country mission over Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, the National Guard Bureau said in a statement.

It said the pilot reported an in-flight emergency before losing radio contact. There were reports that dark smoke was seen around the aircraft.

He told a press conference in Westfield, Massachusetts, that the plane was on its way to New Orleans, Louisiana, to have a radar installed as part of routine maintenance.