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- The pilot of an F / A-18 fighter plane that crashed in 2015 in the French Jura was acquitted by Military Court 2 in Aarau.
- The 43-year-old was charged with multiple negligent breaches of the service’s regulations.
- “I have chosen life,” said the pilot who had been saved with the ejection seat in court.
The commercial military pilot was also acquitted of charges of misuse and distribution of material. The court refrains from disciplinary punishment. The auditor (complainant) had requested a conditional fine of 60 daily rates. The defense attorney demanded acquittal.
The German-Swiss pilot participated in air combat training with two Tiger jets on October 14, 2015. In the last phase, there was a loss of the left engine of the F / A-18 fighter plane.
This resulted in a drop in performance.
These are the F / A 18 shocks of the Swiss Air Force
The plane rolled to the left and quickly lost altitude. The pilot was no longer able to stabilize it and activated the ejection seat. He suffered injuries.
The F / A-18 fighter plane crashed uncontrollably near the French town of Glamondans and was destroyed. According to the indictment, there was a total loss of around 55 million francs.
Pilot: “Determined for life”
During the two-day test, the pilot had reported problems during combat training. Until the end he did not know what problem he had. It was about avoiding flying towards the ground. It was an emergency.
“I only had one try, just a few seconds. I did what was humanly possible, ”he said. In all other accidents in the last 25 years, Swiss pilots with the F / A-18 crashed and died. “I have chosen life,” said the pilot.
