Air traffic controller blamed for fatal military crash
A Swiss air rescue helicopter searches for the missing F/A-18 pilot next to wreckage of the aircraft over the Chelen glacier in 2016.
Frei
A Swiss air traffic controller has been found guilty of negligent homicide after a fatal military aircraft accident in 2016.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
On Tuesday in the main hearing of Military Court 2 sentenced the air traffic controller to a conditional fine of 60 daily rates of CHF170. The co-accused leader pilot was acquitted.
The remaining proceedings, including those due to negligent non-compliance with official regulations and waste of material, were discontinued.
The court saw the air traffic controller as sharing responsibility for the fatal accident, in contrast to the leading military pilot.
Even if one takes into account that many unfortunate circumstances came together for him, from the court’s point of view he made a devastatingly wrong decision, said the presiding judge when announcing the verdict.
This wrong decision consisted of the fact that, upon consultation with the pilot who later had an accident, he gave the wrong minimum flight altitude, i.e. a minimum altitude that was massively too low. The attempt to correct this error came too late.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland targets 65% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035
This content was published on
Switzerland has set an ambitious goal to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels.
Switzerland cuts foreign aid to Albania, Bangladesh and Zambia
This content was published on
This decision comes after the parliament allocated less funding for foreign aid in December than the government had requested.
Switzerland to end international adoptions by 2026
This content was published on
Swiss citizens will no longer be able to adopt children from abroad. The government plans to halt these adoptions to prevent potential abuses.
Home ownership costs in Switzerland up by 2% in 2024
This content was published on
Home ownership in Switzerland became slightly more expensive in 2024. Central Switzerland has the priciest single-family homes at CHF1.78 million.
This content was published on
Six months into his tenure, Vice Chancellor Andrea Arcidiacono said he will leave the Federal Chancellery at the end of March.
Swiss Muslim campaigner faces defamation complaint
This content was published on
The Vaudois Union of Muslim Associations continues its defamation complaint against Saïda Keller-Messahli for her remarks in Le Matin Dimanche.
DRC fighting: UN reports rape and relocates non-essential staff
This content was published on
The UN has moved non-essential staff from Goma in the DRC, after M23 rebels entered on Monday. Reports of rape and looting have emerged.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.