The Office of the Armed Forces Attorney General / Military Justice has brought charges against a pilot of the Patrouille Suisse. This collided with a second Patrouille Suisse fighter jet during a training flight for the “Netherland Air Force Open Days 2016”. The pilot was able to save himself with the ejection seat and was only slightly injured, his aircraft was completely destroyed. A second aircraft was damaged.
The financial amount accounts for:
- F-5E Tiger II aircraft crashed: 800100.- CHF
- F-5E Tiger II aircraft damaged: 146282.80 CHF
- Secure crash site/Wreck recovery/reparations on a damaged greenhouse and rehabilitation of a pond: 1.25 Mio EUR, Swiss government paid 398484.95 CHF
The “Netherland Air Force Open Days 2016” took place at the Dutch air force base in Leeuwarden from June 7 to 11, 2016, and the Swiss Air Force's “Patrouille Suisse” aerobatic team also took part. On June 9, 2016, two “Northrop F-5E Tiger II” combat aircraft operated by Patrouille Suisse collided near the air force base during a training flight. As a result of the collision, one of the two pilots lost control of his aircraft and operated the ejection seat. He suffered minor injuries during the ejection seat launch and the subsequent landing in a greenhouse. The plane crashed in the immediate vicinity of the greenhouse by a pond and suffered a total write-off. The second aircraft was also damaged by the collision, but remained maneuverable. It could be landed safely by the pilot. The auditor of the military justice has now brought charges against the pilot of the crashed aircraft in a military court. The auditor accuses the pilot of violating his duty of care during the approach maneuver flown by him and thereby causing the collision. For this reason, he has become aware of the negligent misuse and waste of material (Art. 73 No. 1 Paragraph 1 MStG), the negligent disruption of public transport (Art. 169a No. 1 Paragraph 2 MStG) as well as the multiple negligent non-compliance of Service regulations (Art. 72 Abs. 2 MStG) made guilty. The auditor has accordingly brought charges against the pilot before the military tribunal 2.
The presumption of innocence continues to apply to the defendant.
Video of the crash (source: yt)
Video of landing damaged aircraft (source: yt)
Video departure of the repaired damaged aircraft (source: yt)
Black days for military aerobatic teams worldwide
The crash of the Patrouille Suisse (first since the founding in 1964!) was only one of a few these days back in 2016. On the same day a Su-27 Flanker of the Russian Knights crashed in Russia killing its pilot and one week after two incidents to the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels; on June 2nd a Thunderbirds F-16 crashed near Colorado Springs (Pilot ejected) and a few hours later on the same day Blue Angels Opposing Solo crashed during a display training in Tennessee killing its pilot.
Notes for media professionals: On March 28, 2019, the Kommunikation Militärjustiz published extensive media raw material on the results of the preliminary evidence taken by the military investigating magistrate on the aircraft accident on June 9, 2016.
This text reflects the status of the investigations from March 2019. It includes the results of the preliminary taking of evidence, but not the preliminary investigation, which was only carried out after the publication of the media raw material. This text can therefore deviate in details from the results of the preliminary investigation. The media raw material can be downloaded under "Links".
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