Gripen crashes

Published: 1st June 2005 11:37 CET

Fighter jet crashes off Swedish coast
A Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighter jet crashed into the sea off Sweden’s south eastern coast during a routine exercise on Wednesday, but the pilot was able to eject safely, military officials said.

“The accident occurred at 9:30 am, 40 kilometres south of Karlskrona in Hanö Bay. The pilot ejected safely and has been rescued from the sea and taken to hospital,” a Swedish Armed Forces spokeswoman told AFP.

The cause of the accident was not yet known, she said, adding that the military would hold a press conference later in the day.

Wednesday’s incident was the fourth crash of a JAS-39 Gripen. The most dramatic crash occurred in 1993 during an air show over central Stockholm. The plane went into a nosedive and crashed just 30 metres from thousands of spectators. The pilot ejected to safety.

(AFP)