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Hungarian Gripen fighter crashes at Czech military air base

Xinhua, May 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

A two-seat JAS-39 Gripen fighter of the Hungarian military crashed in a field beyond a runway at the Caslav military air base in Czech Republic on Tuesday afternoon, said Magdalena Dvorakova from the armed forces' press department.

According to Dvorakova, the two-pilot Hungarian crew were unable to successfully finish the breaking manoeuvre during landing.

She said both pilots were forced to eject when landing, but they were safe and without injuries, adding investigators were looking into the cause of the accident.

Caslav air base spokesman Tomas Maruscak said the aircraft was considerably damaged, with the wing and tail both busted and the cockpit completely torn off.

An international exercise, Lion Effort, for militaries operating the Jas-39 Gripens currently being held at Caslav air base was suspended as a result of the crash, Dvorakova said.

Representatives of the air forces of Hungary, Sweden, Thailand and the Czech Republic were participating in the military exercise.

Maruscak said the Caslav Airport was out of service for the time being. Aircraft which were in the air at the time of the accident had to be rerouted to an alternate airport in Pardubice.

The Lion Effort exercise, which began on May 11 and was to last until May 24, was expected to resume once the investigation concluded. Endit