Ministry sets up committee to investigate Gripen accidents

Budapest, June 29 (MTI) – The defence ministry has set up a committee to look into possible causes of recent accidents involving Hungarian military Gripen fighters, Csaba Hende, the defence minister, told public news television M1 on Monday.

Hende said the body has until July 31 to submit a report, including recommendations to prevent similar accidents in future.

The minister also said that talks with the fighters’ Swedish supplier are under way to replace the two planes that were rendered unusable in the accidents that happened on May 19 and June 10.

In the first instance a Hungarian JAS 39 fighter, participating in an international military exercise, overran the runway at Caslav military air base in the Czech Republic.

The second accident happened near central Hungary’s Kecskemet, when another JAS 39 carried out an emergency landing.

The pilots in both accidents managed to eject from their jets in time.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters