Pilot dies as Finnish Air Force Hawk jet-trainer crashes

Air Force plans gradual shift to purely training role for Hawks

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A Finnish Air Force pilot was killed on Wednesday when his Hawk Mk51 jet fighter-trainer came down in woods near Siikainen, around 40 kilometres north of Pori, in Satakunta Province. The accident occurred at around 12.30 p.m. The pilot, who died instantly, was alone in the aircraft, and was transporting it via Pori from a service depot at Kuorevesi to its base in Kauhava.
      Rather than flying directly to Kauhava, the pilot was routed via Pori to avoid interference with the ongoing Ruska 2004 military exercise. The fighter-trainer was not participating in the exercise. Contact was lost with the plane shortly after a normal touch-down landing and immediate take-off from Pori. Weather in the area was rainy and visibility was somewhat restricted by mist. The cause of the accident is as yet unclear.
      The Defence Forces have announced that the dead officer was a 26-year-old Senior Lieutenant. He had graduated from the National Defence College in 2003 and was transferred to the Air Force Academy as a flight instructor from the beginning of August. Prior to this he had flown with the Satakunta Air Command. He was a trained Hawk pilot, with more than 340 hours of experience in the aircraft. He was married, with two children.
      The Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force has appointed an accident investigation team, to be led by Major Timo Kostiainen.
     
Finland has used Hawk fighter-trainers for basic jet training since the aircraft were first acquired by the Finnish Air Force in 1980. A total of 50 of the British Aerospace jets were ordered in 1977. A further seven planes were ordered in 1990 and came into service roughly ten years ago.
      The single-engined, two-seater Hawk has been regarded as a reliable workhorse. Before Wednesday’s fatal crash, there had been a total of eight accidents involving Hawks, resulting in the death of three pilots. The most recent incident was in March 2003, when a Hawk Mk51 came down near Salla, in Lapland. The pilot and cadet trainee both ejected to safety.
     
In an apparently entirely separate development, it was announced on Wednesday that henceforth the Hawks will be concentrated at the Air Force Academy in Kauhava. The transfer will take place by the beginning of 2006.
      As the planes become older, they will therefore become solely used for basic and further training of jet fighter pilots. Until now, they have been deployed in a joint role as trainers and with additional operational tasks for war or crisis situations. Hence they have been located at bases belonging to the Satakunta, Karelia, and Lapland Air Commands.
      As the Air Force intends to end the Hawks’ operational readiness during the current decade, the distribution of the planes around the country is no longer relevant. There are currently 50 Hawk Mk51 and Mk51A aircraft in service.


Links:
  Finnish Defence Forces: Finnish Air Force Hawk Mk51
  Photograph of a Hawk in FAF livery

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