The plane went down about 11:30 pm Tuesday (0330 GMT Wednesday) at Shaw Air Force Base, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Charleston, the base said in a statement.

It said the pilot was on a training mission when the crash occurred. No information was given on the cause.

It was the fourth serious air force accident in less than two months.

On June 15, an air force pilot based in Britain was killed when his F-15 crashed in the North Sea during a routine training mission.

On May 19, an F-35A stealth fighter crashed on landing after a night flight at Eglin Air Force base in Florida. The pilot ejected.

On May 15, an F-22 stealth fighter crashed about 10 miles from Eglin during a test flight. The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was listed in stable condition after being rescued.