A fighter jet flying from Belgium to a naval airbase in France crashed in the Morbihan region of France. Both pilots were able to eject safely, but one was left hanging on high-voltage power lines for more than 2 hours.
The F-16 fighter jet belonged to the Belgian Air Force and was not carrying any weapons. It was on its way to an airbase near the town of Lorient on a training mission, when it went down, CNN reports. The Belgian Ministry of Defense has confirmed the crash, but avoided the detail that one of the pilots was left dangling on live power lines.
Both pilots survived, including the one whose parachute got caught on the power lines. He was eventually rescued and was taken to the hospital, where he’s being treated for his non-life threatening injuries.
“The pilot and co-pilot were able to eject themselves from their seats before the crash. One is being looked after by the emergency services and the second has his parachute caught on a high-voltage power line,” a spokesperson for the police in Morbihan, Brittany, tells CNN.
A 500-meter perimeter was set up around the crash site, with 40 firefighters and 20 rescue vehicles being involved in the operation. At the same time, 8 houses and 15 residents were evacuated, while authorities put out fires and collected scattered pieces from the crashed fighter jet. Damage to the houses was considerable, with one losing a big chunk of the roof after it was pierced by one of the jet’s wings.
While authorities confirmed the crash and offered progress on the rescue mission, they would not offer a possible cause for the crash. Videos posted to social media show the fighter jet dropping out of the sky at a high rate of speed, but they do not show the crash site.
Both pilots survived, including the one whose parachute got caught on the power lines. He was eventually rescued and was taken to the hospital, where he’s being treated for his non-life threatening injuries.
“The pilot and co-pilot were able to eject themselves from their seats before the crash. One is being looked after by the emergency services and the second has his parachute caught on a high-voltage power line,” a spokesperson for the police in Morbihan, Brittany, tells CNN.
A 500-meter perimeter was set up around the crash site, with 40 firefighters and 20 rescue vehicles being involved in the operation. At the same time, 8 houses and 15 residents were evacuated, while authorities put out fires and collected scattered pieces from the crashed fighter jet. Damage to the houses was considerable, with one losing a big chunk of the roof after it was pierced by one of the jet’s wings.
While authorities confirmed the crash and offered progress on the rescue mission, they would not offer a possible cause for the crash. Videos posted to social media show the fighter jet dropping out of the sky at a high rate of speed, but they do not show the crash site.
NEWS @BeAirForce
— Belgian Air Forceçê (@BeAirForce) September 19, 2019
- un de nos F16 s'est écrasé près de Lorient en France. Les pilotes ont quitté l'avion avec leurs sieges éjectables.
4 Un avion de chasse de l'armée belge s'est écrasé ce matin à Pluvigner dans le Morbihan
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 19, 2019
Dans sa chute, le F16 a heurté cette maison
Les deux pilotes ont réussi à s'éjecter de l'appareil avant le crash pic.twitter.com/R2CrPLQ8om