The pilot of the military jet that crashed Wednesday morning in Augusta County died in the crash, officials say. No one on the ground was injured, and the investigation continues into the cause of the crash.
The pilot’s name is being withheld until family members can be notified.*
The first call in response to a crashed military jet in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Augusta County came just after 9am Wednesday morning, and led to hours of logistical challenges for first responders and authorities making their way through the rugged region of Deerfield.
A National Guard spokesman says the jet was on a standard training exercise, with no munitions onboard.
The pilot of the F-15C, the only person on board, was with the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller says that earlier reports that one witness had seen a parachute were unfounded.
*This report was updated Friday morning (Aug. 29).