The British coast guard says two Royal Air Force crew members still missing are presumed dead after two Tornado fighter jets crashed off the Scottish coast.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman Fred Caygill says "the search-and-rescue phase of the mission was terminated" Tuesday evening, when bad weather halted efforts to find the two missing flyers.

Caygill said Wednesday that emergency workers "are now in a recovery phase."

The Ministry of Defense said the two-seat GR4 Tornado jets were flying over the Moray Firth, off eastern Scotland, when contact with them was lost.

Two other crew members were plucked from the sea by helicopter and taken to a hospital. No word has been released on their condition.

Britain's GR4 Tornados have been involved in several crashes in recent years.