A German Eurofighter pilot has been killed following a mid-air collision in the Müritz area of north-eastern Germany around 1400 yesterday. Three Eurofighters were involved in air to air combat training when two collided. One aircraft went down in a forest while the other crashed near a village about 10km (6 miles) away, the interior ministry in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said.
Both pilots managed to eject from their respective aircraft however only one of them survived, who was found tangled in a tree by rescue teams. The third pilot witnessed the collision over the Fleesensee and reported seeing two parachutes.
"All three aircraft were unarmed, and after 20 minutes for unknown reasons, two of the three Eurofighters touched each other in the air," air force commander Ingo Gerhartz said. "According to the third pilot, who is of course still in shock, he could see the two parachutes attached to the eject seats and he confirmed that both parachutes could be seen."
The mayor of Nossentiner Hütte, Birgit Kurth, told Germany's NDR radio station she was "relieved" that the pilot had survived and that the plane had not come down in the village or caused further damage.
The second plane went down in a wooded area near the village of Jabel, with debris scattered across a field.
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