Hungarian Gripen Fighter Jet Crashes Near Szolnok, No Injuries Reported
Incident Overview and Investigation
Crash Details
BUDAPEST, Aug 24 (Reuters) - A Hungarian Gripen fighter jet crashed near the town of Szolnok on Monday, with the pilot having successfully ejected from the plane, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said in a Facebook post.
Immediate Aftermath
• The cause of the accident was currently unclear, and there were no injuries or casualties, Magyar said. No civilian infrastructure was harmed, he added.
Official Response
• The minister of defence was on his way to the scene, and an inquiry into the cause of the accident was underway, Magyar said.
Statements from Officials
• "According to a preliminary report, there were no injuries and there was no harm in civilian infrastructure," Magyar wrote on Facebook.
• "The pilot is in an ambulance, he is alive," Minister of Defence Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said in a Facebook video.
Background on Hungarian Gripen Fleet
• Hungary, a NATO member state, operates 18 JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft, based in Kecskemet.
Previous Incidents
• In 2015, a Hungarian Gripen crash-landed in central Hungary due to a technical fault. The pilot ejected and the jet was later repaired.
(Reporting by Anita Komuves; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
