Swiss fighter jet pilot faces charges over 2015 crash
A Swiss F/A-18 fighter jet, Payerne, September 2019.
Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
A Swiss air force pilot whose F/A-18 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise in the French Jura mountains in 2015 is to face charges of negligence.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/dos
The accident happened on October 14, 2015 during a training exercise that also involved two Tiger aircraft belonging to the Swiss air force, neither of which were damaged.
An investigation published in 2017 found that the jet’s left engine had stalled, causing it to lose power and begin rolling to the left while rapidly losing altitude. The pilot, unable to stabilise the plane, activated his ejector seat moments later. He suffered minor injuries on landing.
On Thursday, the army announced that charges would be brought against the pilot. In his capacity as “mission commander”, he failed to respect the rules for minimum flight altitudes for combat and training exercises. Both altitudes were too low, according to the charge sheet.
The pilot is accused of non-compliance with basic security rules that apply in exceptional cases. He did not activate the emergency alert system until 24 seconds after the malfunction in the jet’s left engine had appeared.
The case will be brought before a military court; until then, the pilot is presumed innocent.
Air debates
The accident is one of several involving Swiss fighter jets in recent years. In August 2016, another F/A-18 crashed into the mountains in central Switzerland. Two F-5 jets from the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic display team collided in the Netherlands in June the same year. Another F/A-18 was written off after crashing near Lake Lucerne in 2013.
In September this year, Swiss voters will have their say in a referendum on whether the air force will be given some CHF6 billion ($6.1 billion) to buy a new fleet of fighter jets. The army says the current fleet of F/A-18s and Tigers is aging, and needs replacement before 2030 at the latest.
Parliament had approved plans to purchase a new fleet of Gripen fighter jets for CHF3.3 billion. But the plan was scrapped after being rejected by voters in 2013.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Taxes on pension payments: no problem for the Swiss Abroad
Uri voters clear path for hotel and marina complex in central Switzerland
This content was published on
Voters in canton Uri in central Switzerland have rejected a Green Party initiative aimed at regulating the development of the lakeside site in Isleten.
Valais voters reject plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland have turned down a proposal for the region to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
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.
Read more
More
Pilot error caused Swiss jet to crash in France
This content was published on
On October 14, 2015, an F/A-18 jet with one pilot on board was flying in airspace shared by the Swiss and French for training exercises when it crashed in a field near the village of Glamondans, east of the French city of Besançon. The accident occurred late in the morning during a training exercise with…
This content was published on
The Swiss air force has no immediate explanation why an F/A-18 fighter jet lost altitude and crashed in France on Wednesday, injuring the pilot.
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.