Hungarian Gripen jet crashes with full armament; flights suspended

A Hungarian Gripen fighter jet crashed near Szolnok while carrying a full weapons load during a training exercise. The incident occurred during a simulated air combat scenario, where the aircraft issued a distress signal and experienced a malfunction. The pilot successfully ejected before the plane crashed and caught fire.

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The pilot was not only sharp-minded but also had heart and was in the right place, as he avoided having to perform this maneuver over a populated area, so that the plane would not crash into a residential area.

According to Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the pilot attempted to guide the malfunctioning aircraft, which had lost its electronic systems, towards the Szolnok airport. The pilot's decisive action to eject over a less populated area prevented potential harm to civilians. Firefighters arrived within five minutes to extinguish the blaze, preventing further damage to the airport.

Brigadier General Tamás Bali stated that the aircraft was responsible for air defense readiness and was engaged in a one-on-one combat exercise. A fault warning prompted the crew to abort the mission, as they determined they could not reach Kecskemét and decided to land at Szolnok. The lead aircraft crashed during the final approach.

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He tried to bring the plane down, he tried to control the vehicle, which no longer had electronics, until the last moment.

In response to the incident, all Gripen training flights have been suspended until the investigation determines the cause of the crash. The Ministry of Defense provided a brief statement in response to media inquiries, with the video released by Ruszin-Szendi offering further details.

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One-on-one air combat was taking place, and in the final phase of the mission, a fault signal was received from the aircraft, which necessitated the interruption of their exercise.