Two American F-18 Hornet Jets have apparently crashed during an operation in Iraq according to an American military spokesman.

The body of one of the two pilots has been located but officials were still trying to locate the body of the second pilot. The identity of the two pilots was being withheld pending notification of their families.

It was not yet clear if either of the planes had any other crew members on board besides the pilots. Some F-18 Hornets carry one additional crew member and some pilots of F-18s fly solo.

Military officials indicated that there was no evidence of hostile fire and that the planes were flying at too high an altitude to have been shot down by the enemy.

Both of the missing planes were launched off the aircraft carrier USS Vinson. They disappeared off American radar screens at approximately 10:10 PM Monday night local time.

The military would not comment on whether or not there may have been an in air collision between the two American planes.

The search for the second pilot and his plane continues. Military officials are launching a full scale investigation into the cause of the crashes.