German Military Jet Crashes in Switzerland; One Dead (Update3)

By Claudia Rach and Jacob Greber

April 12 (Bloomberg) -- A German military jet crashed into a mountain in Switzerland today, killing one pilot and injuring a second, according to the German Defense Ministry.

The aircraft, a Tornado fighter jet, crashed into the Bernese Alps shortly before 3 p.m. local time, a statement posted on the Bern police Web site said. Eyewitnesses said the aircraft flew into the north face of the Aebniflue mountain, ``followed by an explosion,'' according to police.

One pilot was rescued by helicopter from a glacier below the crash site at 4:25 p.m. local time, police said. The other pilot was killed at the scene, a German Defense Ministry spokesman who declined to be identified said. The cause of the accident was not yet know, he said.

Germany dispatched six Tornado fighter jets ten days ago to help NATO's mission in Afghanistan in a step which has split public and political opinion over the country's growing list of military engagements. Military matters are particularly sensitive in Germany because of the country's history and later pacifism as enshrined in the post-World War II constitution.

The jet was not part of the Afghanistan contingent, the ministry spokesman said. The Tornado was on its way back from an exercise on the French island of Corsica, N-TV television reported, citing the Swiss Defense Ministry.

Swiss police said the aircraft had refueled in Switzerland earlier in the day. A paraglider said he saw the aircraft flying ``very low'' before the pilots ejected, Swiss state television SF1 reported. The injured pilot is now in hospital.

The crash occurred in the Lauterbrunnen valley in the canton of Bern, between the villages Aebniflue and Mattaghorn, police said.

The Aebniflu, near the Eiger, is 3,962 meters high, and is a popular recreation area. It overlooks the Lauterbrunnen valley, which is home to the Wengen and Murren ski resorts.

R.I.P......

http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/schweiz_aid_53397.html