The two crew members on the F-15E fighter jet ejected to safety. One has already been recovered by US forces, who say they are in the process of rescuing the other.
It is understood that at least one of the crew members was initially rescued by rebel Libyan soldiers after ejecting from the aircraft.
The crashed plane was discovered by a Telegraph journalist reporting in and around Benghazi, the rebel-held city.
It is thought the F-15E fighter jet came to ground after suffering a mechanical failure.
The US military confirmed that one of its jets had crash landed but said that it had not been shot down.