An Italian air force fighter plane crashed, most likely in Sicily, the military confirmed late on Tuesday.
The aircraft did not return from a training mission in the afternoon.
The crash site was believed to be about 10 kilometres south-east of its base near Trapani, in western Sicily.
A helicopter was sent in search of the pilot, the air force said. The cause of the crash was still unclear.
On the ground, police officers, firefighters and squadron specialists were searching for the fighter jet.
