A fighter jet crashed near the border between Virginia and West Virginia. Emergency rescue workers and government searched for almost thirty days but the pilot is now believed to be dead.

It was not known at the time whether the pilot ejected, though evidence suggests that he likely did.

Wednesday morning, an F-15C from the Massachusetts Air National Guard crashed in Augusta County, Virginia, according to CNN. The single-seat fighter jet was part of the 104th Fighter Wing stationed in Westfield, Massachusetts. A rescue mission began as soon as emergency workers and police arrived on the scene.

"People are on site. We actually have helicopters over the site doing the search-and-rescue mission, but we have not been able to talk to anybody," said James Keefe, the wing commander, on Wednesday. 

The plane crashed in a densely wooded and mountainous area near the town of Deerfield, Virginia, some 135 miles from Richmond, according to the New York Daily News.

An alert emitted by the pilot's equipment pointed to the likelihood that he ejected before the plane crashed, said Jean Sepulveda, a representative from the sheriff's office. However, they did not know his position.

"They have not been able to clear enough brush so that a vehicle can reach the crash," Sepulveda she told the Daily News Wednesday afternoon. "He has not been located as of yet."

According to the Associated Press, the fighter plane was heading to New Orleans to have new radar systems installed but declared an in-flight emergency and then lost radio contact.

At around 9 a.m. residents in the small town of 130 people heard the crash happen. Rescue efforts involved hundreds of rescue workers from different levels of government as well as volunteers. 

However, it was announced by the Massachusetts Air National Guard on Thursday night that the pilot is now dead, according to the Waynesboro, Virginia newspaper the News Virginian. 

Brig. Gen. Robert Brooks informed the press that search crews found evidence that the pilot did not manage to eject from plane. 

"This is an extremely difficult day for the 104th Wing,"  Brooks said. He explained that the search took over more than 30 hours and an investigation will be started on what caused the crash, reports the News Virginian.