1st Lt. Kenneth Allen, the 493rd Fighter Squadron’s assistant chief of weapons and tactics, was killed in a June 15 F-15C crash over the North Sea, the 48th Fighter Wing announced June 16.
Allen, who arrived at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., in February, is survived by his wife and parents.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lt. Allen, and mourn with his family and his fellow Reapers in the 493rd Fighter Squadron,” 48th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Will Marshall said in a wing release. “The tremendous outpouring of love and support from our communities has been a ray of light in this time of darkness.”
As a memorial to the lost pilot, Marshall changed the profile picture on his professional Facebook page, putting a black line through the 493rd Fighter Squadron’s emblem. The photo of aircraft behind the emblem, shown below, was the preexisting cover photo for Marshall’s page.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.