A World War II-era Spitfire fighter plane crashed in a field in England, killing the pilot

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s defense ministry says a World War II-era Spitfire fighter plane has crashed near an air force base in eastern England. The pilot was killed. The ministry confirmed the death Saturday 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 is home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight collection of wartime fighter and bomber aircraft. More than 20,000 Spitfires were built in the 1930s and 40s, and the plane played a key role in the Battle of Britain. The crash happened days before wartime aircraft will take to the skies to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.