The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Pilot guilty of causing Swiss air display crash

Patrouille Suisse aircraft on a display flight
Patrouille Suisse pilots felt 'untouchable', prosecutors complained at a military tribunal. Anthony Anex

A pilot of the Patrouille Suisse military aerobatic team has been blamed for causing a crash at an air show in the Netherlands in 2016.

A military tribunal convicted the pilot of negligent misuse of his aircraft and of squandering equipment.

Two F-5 Tiger aircraft collided during a diamond formation manoeuvre near to the Dutch city of Leeuwarden in June, 2016.

One aircraft crashed and its pilot suffered minor injuries after ejecting and landing in a greenhouse. The other aircraft was damaged but managed to land safely.

The accident resulted in CHF800,000 ($863,000) of damage. 

Investigations concluded that pilot error was likely to blame, a finding that was upheld by the military tribunal ruling released on Thursday.

Prosecutors at the tribunal complained that pilots felt “untouchable” and did not pay enough attention to the possibility of errors.

Patrouille Suisse resumed flying displays after an investigation but no longer performs that particular diamond formation.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Study: Rhine could become up to 4.2 degrees warmer by 2100

More

Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn

This content was published on The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.

Read more: Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
'Leopard 1 A5' combat tanks in Germany.

More

Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme

This content was published on The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.

Read more: Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

More

Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

This content was published on On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.

Read more: Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
Industry calls for "lean implementation" of the EU treaty package

More

Swiss industry backs EU treaty package

This content was published on The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.

Read more: Swiss industry backs EU treaty package

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR