Air Force resumes flight operations with PC-21
Published: Thursday, Nov 30th 2023, 13:30
Updated At: Thursday, Nov 30th 2023, 13:30
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The Swiss Air Force is resuming flight operations with the PC-21 training aircraft with immediate effect following Tuesday's accident in Emmen LU. An investigating judge and the Military Aviation Authority cleared the fleet for flight operations again on Thursday, as announced by the armed forces.
The evacuation work at the military airfield in Emmen has been completed, the statement continued. Due to the accident on Tuesday, all flight operations at Emmen were suspended until Thursday as a precautionary measure.
The two pilots who were involved in an accident with a PC-21 at Emmen airbase on Tuesday are doing well, according to the army. They were able to leave the hospital on the day of the accident after a medical check-up. No further medical clarifications are planned.
It is currently unclear when the two pilots involved in the accident will resume their flying duties. On Tuesday afternoon, they had used the ejection seat to rescue themselves from the training aircraft that had come off the runway while landing at the military airfield in Emmen. The damaged aircraft came to a halt on the grass next to the runway.
Military justice investigated
The accident occurred after a training flight as part of the Air Force pilot school. The investigation by the military justice authorities is still ongoing, the army added.
The aircraft involved in the accident is a PC-21 training aircraft from the Swiss manufacturer Pilatus. The two-seater aircraft has been in service with the army since 2008. A total of eight aircraft of this type have been procured. It is used for basic and advanced training for jet pilots as well as for air combat, blind flying and aerobatics training.
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