A World War II-era Spitfire fighter plane crashed in a field in England, killing the pilot WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio [Video]

LONDON — (AP) — A World War II-era Spitfire fighter plane crashed near a British air force base in eastern England on Saturday, killing the pilot, the U.K. defense ministry said.

The ministry confirmed the death of a Royal Air Force pilot “in a tragic accident” near RAF Coningsby, an airbase. There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash.

The base about 150 miles (230 kilometers) north of London is home both to modern fighter jets and to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, a collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft that take part in air shows and memorial displays.

Several of the planes had been due to perform a flying display Saturday at the nearby Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Center.

Lincolnshire Police said emergency services were called Saturday afternoon to reports that an aircraft had crashed in a field in Coningsby. The force said “it is believed to be a single occupant aircraft and nobody else is thought to have …