Pilot error appears to have resulted in a wheels-up landing involving a Swedish air force Saab JAS 39C Gripen fighter at Ronneby air base on 6 August.
“We will begin an investigation of the incident according to our normal routines, but an initial interview with the pilot suggests that the accident was caused by human error,” says air force chief of staff Gen Anders Silwer. “There is no evidence of a malfunction in the aircraft,” he adds.
The single-seat fighter ran along the runway for some distance on its belly before coming to rest on adjacent grass, where fire crews quickly extinguishing a small fire. The aircraft’s pilot did not eject, and was uninjured in the mishap.
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© F17 Wing/Swedish defence ministry |
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© Catharina Bergsell/Swedish defence ministry |
Operated by the Swedish air force’s F17 Wing, Gripen 212 was delivered in 2002, according to Flightglobal’s MiliCAS database.
Flight activities were suspended at Ronneby while investigative work was conducted before moving the damaged aircraft, but F17 says the base re-opened for operations early on 7 August.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
