TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Air Force officials say they have recovered the remains of an F-16 fighter jet pilot from the Gulf of Mexico after a crash earlier in the day.

A news release Thursday night from Tyndall Air Force Base says efforts will now shift to collecting evidence to determine the cause of the accident.

The base says the airman won’t be immediately identified, pending notification of family. No further details were immediately available.

An earlier statement said the jet was on a routine training mission over the Gulf on Thursday morning when the base in the Florida Panhandle lost contact with the pilot.