Air Force Hawk jet fighter-trainer crashes, pilot ejects to safety

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The pilot ejected to safety as a Finnish Air Force Hawk jet fighter-trainer came down in woodland near the Kruunupyy airfield late Thursday evening.
      The pilot was taken to hospital, but according to preliminary information his injuries are not serious.
      According to the Air Force, the plane was gaining altitude after an approach, when the pilot heard a loud bang and his engine shut down. The pilot's attempt to restart the engine failed.
      A temporary crash investigation committee appointed by Colonel Kari Janhunen, Commander of the Training Air Wing in Kauhava, is already looking into the cause of the accident.
     
"Soon after the accident the police cordoned off the scene. The plane had plenty of fuel in its tanks, some of which leaked into the ground. The local volunteer fire brigade further defined the area. The leaked kerosene will not cause damage to the environment", Janhunen explained.
      Around the wrecked plane the accident investigation committee found lots of smaller parts, all of which are marked on a map and picked up later for analysis.
      The accident took place near the Kruunupyy airfield in Ostrobothnia shortly after 22:00 last night. For the moment Colonel Janhunen has refrained from speculating on the cause of the crash. In some assessments given last night the possibility of an engine failure was suggested.
     
According to duty officer Matti Koivisto, the Mid-Ostrobothnia and Pietarsaari region fire rescue department was notified of the crash by air traffic control at 22:21.
      Eleven minutes later the first rescue unit was by the burning plane, less than a kilometre southeast from the main runway of the Kruunupyy airfield, which serves the city of Kokkola.
      The ejected pilot had landed nearby. The fact that the wreck was only about a hundred metres from the nearest road made the rescue efforts easier. The kerosene from the plane's tanks was on fire, and the firemen used foam to put it out.
      According to the Air Force the plane had been taking part in an exercise. There were no other planes in the area at the time of the accident. The weather was damp and slightly misty.
     
The Finnish Air Force have 50 British-made Hawk jet-trainers. Yesterday's crash included, there have been ten Hawk accidents in Finland, in which four pilots have lost their lives and one has been seriously injured.
      The Finnish Air Force have used Hawks since December 1980. The Hawks are used by the Training Air Wing in Kauhava.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Pilot dies as Finnish Air Force Hawk jet-trainer crashes (2.9.2004)

Links:
  Finnish Defence Forces: Finnish Air Force Hawk Mk51

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