The F-15C pilot who went down over the North Sea on Monday did not survive the crash, according to the US Air Force.
First Lieutenant Kenneth “Kage” Allen, the assistant chief of weapons and tactics for the 493rd Fighter Squadron and a member of the 48th Fighter Wing, was confirmed to have been killed following an accident near the British coastline.
Allen’s body was located a few hours after the wreckage was found. Emergency communications were heard on a dedicated NATO frequency just before the crash.
Allen’s widow, Hannah Allen, took to social media to describe the loss of her husband.
“Kage was perfect, never been treated with more love and respect in my life,” she wrote. “He was my absolute best friend.”
Ms. Allen posted a video that her husband had sent her not long before his death, as he strummed her a tune on his acoustic guitar and sang to her.
The song, poignantly enough, was Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle.”
According to the Stars and Stripes, the 493rd Fighter Squadron released their official condolences in reference to the crash.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lt. Allen, and mourn with his family and his fellow Reapers in the 493rd Fighter Squadron. The tremendous outpouring of love and support from our communities has been a ray of light in this time of darkness,” 48th Fighter Wing commander Col. Will Marshall said in the statement.
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