Military Jet Crashes in Western Virginia: Live Updates

DEERFIELD, Va. (TheBlaze/AP) — A sheriff's dispatcher said authorities are searching for a military jet that crashed in western Virginia Wednesday morning.

Augusta County Sheriff's Office dispatcher Becky Coynter said witnesses reported hearing a loud noise that sounded like an explosion just before 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Live Updates:

Coynter said authorities don't know yet whether anyone was injured in the crash.

WVEC-TV reported that Virginia State Police were notified just after 9 a.m. of the incident. The state police did not immediately return TheBlaze's request for comment.

Neighbors, however, told the news station that they saw a plume of smoke rise from the Elliot's Knob area. WVEC reported that police dispatch said an F-15 jet was missing.

The crash scene is said to be the Elliott's Knob area of the George Washington National Forest. (Image source: Google Maps)

A spokesperson with the Air National Guard confirmed to CBS News that it was an F-15 that crashed in a flight that started at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts.

A news release from state police said officials located the crash site, with heavy smoke coming from the side of a mountain. The statement says state and local police are trying to reach the site.

"I'm on location, with smoke, and we do have debris," a responder using emergency radio frequencies said after 10 a.m., according to WVEC. "I got debris everywhere... I haven't located anybody."

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This is a developing story. Stay tuned for further details.