Military pilot acquitted of negligence over 2015 crash
A Swiss military court has acquitted a Swiss pilot accused of negligence after he ejected from a plane in 2015 before it crashed in the French Jura.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
The prosecutor had requested a 60-day suspended fine for several violations of the service regulations, as well as for negligent abuse and waste of material. However, in its Friday judgment the court in Aarau, northern Switzerland, ruled in favour of the defence request for acquittal.
The first staff lieutenant, 43, ejected from an F/A-18 that had become uncontrollable during military exercises. He was slightly injured. The plane crashed in Glamondans, France, near the Swiss border. The damage reached CHF55 million ($62 million).
The accident happened on October 14, 2015 during a training exercise that also involved two Tiger aircraft belonging to the Swiss air force, neither of which were damaged.
An investigation published in 2017 found that the jet’s left engine had stalled, causing it to lose power and begin rolling to the left while rapidly losing altitude.
This content was published on
Switzerland's economy grew slightly at the start of 2024, with growth in the service sector contrasting with weak growth in industry.
Swiss employment rate rises in first quarter of 2023
This content was published on
The number of women and foreign nationals in employment increased particularly strongly, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.
Coercion still an issue in Swiss welfare system, report finds
This content was published on
The rights of vulnerable people are still sometimes disregarded by the Swiss welfare system, a national research programme has found.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss fighter jet pilot faces charges over 2015 crash
This content was published on
A Swiss air force pilot whose F/A-18 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise in the French Jura mountains in 2015 is to face charges of negligence.
This content was published on
On October 14, 2015, an F/A-18 jet with one pilot on board was flying in airspace shared by the Swiss and French for training exercises when it crashed in a field near the village of Glamondans, east of the French city of Besançon. The accident occurred late in the morning during a training exercise with…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.