Skip to main content

Two German air force fighter jets collided during a training mission in the northeast of the country Monday, with at least one pilot surviving.

A third pilot taking part in the exercise saw two parachutes descending to the ground after the crash in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania state, the German air force said on Twitter.

Police in Neubrandenburg said one of the pilots was found alive in a forest. Emergency responders also found body parts near the village of Silz, police said. “We cannot currently confirm that this is the second pilot,” they said on Twitter.

Local radio station Ostseewelle reported that the two unarmed Eurofighter jets collided shortly before 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) Monday near Lake Mueritz, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Berlin.

A video posted online after the crash showed two plumes of smoke rising from the ground.

Police warned the public not to approach potentially dangerous wreckage from the planes. Firefighters were deployed to tackle any blazes caused by the crash.

The German air force said the jets were based in Laage, near the Baltic sea port of Rostock.

The Eurofighter Typhoon was jointly developed by Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain. More than 550 of the jets have been delivered since 2003, at a cost of close to $100-million apiece.

Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe