The accident happened in the afternoon of June 9, 2016: Patrouille Suisse is training for an air show near Leeuwarden airbase (NL). Suddenly everything goes so fast. Two F-5 Tiger jets collide – pilot Michael D.* (37)’s machine, called “Püpi”, spirals out of control.
At the last moment he can save himself with the ejector seat and ends up in a greenhouse. It suffers cuts and sprains. His plane crashes on the bank of a pond. The second aircraft was also damaged in the collision. The pilot still manages to land the stricken aircraft safely.
Pilot briefly flew “blind”
The later investigation report of the military justice assumed a pilot error. “Püpi” is said to have briefly lost sight of the second aircraft involved in the accident. However, he did not report this over the radio with the word “blind”: “A possible pilot misconduct as the cause of the accident cannot therefore be dismissed out of hand.” It was Patrouille Suisse’s first ever accident.
The Military Court 2 in Aarau issued a verdict on Thursday. It sentenced the pilot to a conditional fine of three daily fares of 160 francs. This due to negligent misuse and waste of material.
The man was acquitted of negligently disrupting public transport. The procedure is stopped due to repeated negligent non-compliance with the service regulations.
‘Too aggressive and without sight’
The prosecution had previously demanded a conditional fine of 90 CHF 270 per day. The pilot is “not a criminal”, but a “deserving Swiss Air Force pilot”. However, he made mistakes while approaching the Patrouille Suisse’s other Tiger jet.
The pilot flew “too aggressively and without visibility”. However, it should never be flown blind in aerobatic formations. If there had been sufficient visual contact, the collision could have been avoided. There was significant danger to the other pilots in the formation and to five passersby near the crash site. The top priority in association flying is collision avoidance. Pilot error must be penalized.
At the same time, the Public Prosecution Service complained that the incident at the aerobatics team had never been handled internally. There is a “no error culture” at the Patrouille Suisse. In “blind faith” the pilot was put back in the cockpit. “You feel untouchable.”
The prosecution charged the professional military pilot with negligent abuse and waste of material. The man was also charged with negligent disruption of public transportation and multiple negligent non-compliance with service orders.
The defense had asked for an acquittal
The defense attorney came to a very different conclusion. He demanded acquittal and punishment for the pilot. The training flight would have been an operation ordered by the commander. Each pilot must be able to count on his colleagues in the formation. Flights are mainly based on sight.
According to the defender, it is not known exactly how the collision, which lasted 0.2 seconds, came about. In aerobatics, the distances between the machines are very small. Aerobatics are intentionally even more dangerous than flying. Every pilot knows the risk and the consequences – even the army itself. The air force therefore agrees with the risk. (dBA/SDA)
* Name known to editors.
Source:Blick
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