Leeuwarden Crash of 2016: Patrouille Suisse Pilot accused by Military Justice

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.

Source and more documents: Swiss Federation

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".

Pilot of Hornet Crash 2015 in France now on trial

 The aircraft - Hornet D J-5235 - crashed during an air combat training with two F-5 Tiger II in the binational EUC25 training area near Glamondance (F) on october 14th, 2015. Pilot ejected with only minor injuries and is now on trial for not following rules/emergency procedures to safe the aircraft.

The Pilot - Martin H. - was one of three test pilots for flying the Gripen due the evaluation 2014 and can be seen here on an swiss television documentary. The presumption of innocence continues to apply to the accused pilot: https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/gripen-drei-schweizer-piloten-trainieren-in-schweden

The aircraft crashed was mainly in use by armasuisse as a test aircraft with special wiring - seen here in january 2004 

Reports of the french/swiss investigation (on June 13th, 2017) stated that (source):

 ... In the last exercise phase, the left engine of the F / A-18D stalled, which resulted in a drop in engine performance. The aircraft began to roll to the left with an unwanted rolling motion and quickly lost altitude. The pilot was no longer able to bring the aircraft into a stable flight position. Shortly afterwards he operated the ejector seat. The plane then crashed on an arable land near the village of Glamondans in the French Jura. The pilot survived slightly injured.

.../ ... 

Based on these results, the F / A-18 pilot is initially suspected of violating Art. 72 MStG (non-compliance with service regulations) and Art. 73 MStG (misuse and waste of material). In order to be able to determine whether a criminal act was committed in a specific case, the examining magistrate asked divisional officer Bernhard Müller, deputy commander and chief operations officer of the Air Force, to order a preliminary investigation. The latter approved the application and ordered a preliminary investigation.

The presumption of innocence continues to apply to the accused pilot.

F / A-18 crash of 2015: Main hearing in military court (source)

Bern, 11/24/2020 - On December 9, 2020, the main hearing against the pilot of the F / A-18 fighter plane, which crashed in 2015 in the French Jura, begins in Aarau before Military Court 2. He is accused of multiple negligent non-compliance with service regulations as well as negligent abuse and waste of material.

From December 9 to 11, 2020, the main hearing of Military Court 2 against the pilot of the F / A-18 fighter aircraft will take place in Aarau, which crashed on October 14, 2015 as part of air combat training near the French village of Glamondans near the Swiss border. The indictment accuses the pilot of multiple negligent non-compliance with service regulations as well as negligent misuse and waste of material. The trial is expected to last three days. Military Court 2 is presided over by Lieutenant Colonel Christoph Rüedi.

The hearing begins on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 8:15 a.m., in the Chamber of the Commercial Court of the Canton Aargau (Obere Vorstadt 40, 5000 Aarau). It's public. The number of visitor places is limited due to the protective measures in connection with COVID-19.

Media representatives and other interested persons who want to take part in the main public hearing are asked to register with the Communication Military Justice Department by Friday, December 4, 2020 at the latest. The registered persons will be informed up to two days before the main hearing whether they can take part in the main hearing. Identification and registration is required in the courthouse. The registered media workers will be sent additional information (including indictment) about the proceedings before the main hearing.

shortly after the crash a rapid response unit deployed to the crash site in France out of Meiringen