2019 Belgian F-16 crash
| 2019 Belgian F-16 crash | |||||||
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 The Arrondissement Lorient where the crash happend just 30 km from Lorient | |||||||
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The 2019 Belgian F-16 crash was an incident when a Belgian F-16B jet took off in Belgium with a mission going to Lorient. However it crashed before it reached the city.
Incident[edit]
On the morning of 19 September 2019, a Belgian F-16B jet took off in Florennes, Belgium.[1] The jetfighter had the mission to go to the airbase at Lorient as a practice flight. After a one-hour-and-eight-minute flight, the pilots had (for unknown reasons) problems with the engine.[2] One of the crewmen tried to restart the engine.[2][3] At 10:33 the Belgian defence received emergency warnings of the use of both ejection seats. According to an eyewitness at the RTBF before the crewmen used their ejection there was a big flame following thick black smoke was coming out the plane.[4] Soon after the aircraft flew 500 m (1,600 ft) above the ground,[1] with a speed of 800 km/h (500 mph)[2] the men used their ejection seat, one of them landed safely and the other one got stuck on a 250,000-volt high-voltage line.[3][5] Local media claims he died at that moment, this was denied and it was later comfirmed that the pilot was still alive.[6] After they left the jet hit (with one of its wings) at least one house's roof and facade in Pluvigner east of Lorient[7][8] at 10:38 local time,[9] it crashed 50 m (160 ft) from the house into the neighbouring farm field.[8] The crash was 30 km (19 mi) from the city of Lorient.[3] After the crash the jet exploted once at 10:45 and the second one follows too in a short time.[10] Both explosions caused a fire which destroyed or damaged a garden, a shed, some trees and parts of a maize field.[10] Emergency crews arived soon after, according to the local authorities 100 police officers,[9][11] 40 firefighters, 20 rescue vehicles,[12] a Hawkeye aeroplane and an NH90 helicopter were deployed.[13] At 11:15 the crisiscel was established and a no fly zone of 5 km (3.1 mi) en 2,500 ft (760 m) high, and a 500-metre security perimeter were set up.[14] Eight houses with their 15 residents were evacuated.[11] According to Le Télégramme the smell of paraffin and explotion danger was active in the region.[15] At 11:45 the Belgian Air Component confirms the incident.[13] Firefighters try to deal the fire and the blaze from the plane.[7] While the power line was shut down[3] to free the hanging pilot at around 13:00.[1] Both pilots had minor injuries and they were together with the lady (of the damaged house) taken to a hospital for some medical checks. No other casualties were reported.[16]
Aftermath[edit]
After the crash, the investigations were started by the French Police,[5] joined by a Belgian group of air safety investigators.[17] The next morning a road to Landaul was re-opened.[18] A couple hours later the 500-metre security perimeter was halved to 250 m (820 ft)[19]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Beelden tonen overvliegende Belgische F-16 seconden voor crash, piloten gebruiken schietstoel en blijven ongedeerd" [Images show flying Belgian F-16 seconds before the crash, pilots use the shooting seat and remain unharmed]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Belgian F-16 fighter jet crashes in France; leaves one pilot stuck on high-voltage line". VRT News. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Belgian F-16 crash pilot ejects on to power line". BBC News. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ↑ "Belgian F-16 crashes in France without victim". EN24 News. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Fighter pilot rescued from high-voltage power line after crash in France". The Guardian. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- ↑ "Fighter pilot left dangling from high voltage power line after F-16 crash". The Telegraph. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "LIFE ON THE LINE Fighter pilot trapped on high-voltage power lines by his parachute after F-16 jet crashes in France". The Sun. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Pilot stuck on power line after Belgian F-16 jet crashes in France". Daily Sabah. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "F-16 fighter jet crash leaves pilot dangling from high-voltage electricity line in France". The Independent. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Bewoners van het huis waar Belgische F-16 op neerkwam en stuk van hun dak rukte: "Alles ruikt naar de kerosine"" [Residents of the house where Belgian F-16 landed and broke their roof: "Everything smells like kerosene"]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 19 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Pilot saved from power line after Belgian F-16 crashes in France". Bangkok Post. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ "Belgian fighter jet crash leaves pilot stuck on power cable". CNN News. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Crash d'un F-16 belge dans le Morbihan" [Crash of a Belgian F-16 in Morbihan]. Ouest France (in French). 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Un F-16 belge s'écrase près de Lorient. Pilotes sains et saufs. Opération de sauvetage compliquée" [A Belgian F-16 crashes near Lorient. Drivers healthy and sound. complicated rescue operation]. Bruxelles 2 (in French). 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Pluvigner. Le témoignage des habitants de la maison touchée" [Pluvigner. The testimony of the inhabitants of the house affected]. Le Télégramme (in French). 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Pilot Saved from Power Line after Belgian F-16 Crashes in France". News 18. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ "Pilot left dangling from electric cables after ejecting from fighter jet". Metro UK. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ "La route de Landaul rouverte à la circulation" [Landaul road reopened to traffic]. Le Télégramme (in French). 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Le périmètre de sécurité réduit de moitié" [The reduced security perimeter by half]. Le Télégramme (in French). 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
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