A jet fighter crashed in the mountainous area of western Virginia on Wednesday. No injuries were recorded, but the aircraft's pilot had been reported missing. Reports reveal that the jet fighter had simply embarked on a standard maintenance mission prior to its crash. Residents of the area and the nearby communities were reportedly shaken by the incident, but military and law enforcement authorities assured at a news conference that no civilian was hurt.

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At present, searchers have been sent to comb the secluded area in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia for the aforementioned missing pilot. The aircraft that crashed, an F-15C fighter jet, was said to be from the Massachusetts Air National Guard, the official reports disclosed. According to an announcement made by Col. James Keefe at a news conference in Westfield, preliminary findings indicate no sign on whether the missing pilot was able to eject himself from the aircraft. However, he clarified that all pilots were given ejection training sessions every six months.  

"There is an ongoing rescue mission," Keefe stated. He is the commander of the plane's unit, which is the 104th Fighter Wing. The unit is located at the Barnes air base in Westfield. Records show that the missing pilot sent an "inflight emergency" signal prior to losing contact with the base. Keefe admitted that officials have yet to be able to contact the said pilot, but he maintained that the pilot had been "well trained to survive. In addition, investigators clarified that the pilot was the only person inside the single-seat fighter.

The jet fighter was said to be on its way to have its radar installed in New Orleans. This procedure was part of routine maintenance implemented by the military, said Keefe in the conference. Residents near Deerfield claim that they heard a series of explosion-like booms just before 9 a.m. They described that the sound came from roughly 135 miles northwest of Richmond.

"It's the loudest noise I've ever heard," a resident, 63-year-old Rebecca Shinaberry, said. She currently resides on a farm approximately two miles away from the said location. "It just shook the ground, and from my house we could just see a big plume of smoke," she added.

Tagsjet, fighter, pilot, Virginia, James Keefe, Westfield, Rescue operation, 104th fighter wing, New Orleans