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1st LD Writethru: Stunt fighter's jet crashes near Leeuwarden

Xinhua, June 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

A fighter jet of a Swiss stunt team crashed in a pond near Leeuwarden Airbase in the Dutch province of Friesland on Thursday, with no casualties reported.

Images show that the fighter jet came down in a pond near the village of Bitgum. The pilot was able to escape thanks to his ejection seat. The municipality of Menameradiel, of which Bitgum is part of, stated the pilot was found safe and is doing well and had been taken to the hospital after falling through the glass of a greenhouse upon landing.

The aircraft was in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Air Force Open Days, which are being held at the airbase in Leeuwarden on Friday and Saturday. Several airplanes conducted training flights above Friesland on Thursday.

The crashed plane is an F-5 of the Swiss delegation, the Patrouille Suisse. The possible cause of the crash was a mid-air collision with another plane, which did not crash.

The annual Royal Netherlands Air Force Open Days are organized by the Dutch Royal Air Force. Several air shows and demonstrations of aircraft from Belgium, France, Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey, among others will be presented. Endit