Commission to investigate plane crash

The Air Force and the Serbian Army’s Anti-Aircraft Defense has formed a commission to investigate the crash of its Eagle military aircraft in Vojvodina yesterday. Aviation Commander General-Major Dragan Katanic said that the commission would uncover what caused the crash after sifting through the wreckage and talking with the pilot, Major Tomas Janik, who ejected in time, and was able to walk away from the crash with only minor injuries. Commission to investigate plane crash Katanic added that members of the commission had not wanted to speak to Janik, who is still in shock after the incident, and who suffered a broken shin. “After taking off, the flight was going according to plan until the moment of the crash, which took place at about 11:30 CET. The pilot, for hitherto unknown reasons, was forced to eject from the plane and was able to guide the aircraft to an unpopulated area, before coming down above the village of Baranda at the moment of impact,” he said. Katanic did not want to speculate on the possible causes of the crash, stating that he expected the commission to have some answers in the next fortnight or so. The general-major said that such accidents were common in other Air Forces, and that the Serbian military had not lost an aircraft in four and a half years prior to the crash. “The aircraft involved was an Eagle J22, number 25-114, and was completely functional and ready for flight. The aircraft had work done to it in March of this year and, of the 1,000 approved flight hours, it had only completed about 40,” he said. “During the pre-flight checks, which were carried out under the standard procedures, nothing was found that could point to a potential technical failure. I immediately formed a commission for investigating the causes of the accident, and, on completion of its work, it will be known what caused the pilot to eject from the plane,” Katanic explained. The Serbian military located the pilot half an hour after the crash, with four helicopters from Belgrade and Nis participating in the rescue. The military and the Defense Ministry thanked the police and medical team, especially two members of the public, Sava Radojev and Sasa Vlah, who drove to the scene after witnessing the crash. Radojev, who took a cast off his leg in order to get to the pilot, told B92 that the Janik had fallen into a swamp near the Tamis River and that he had been tracked down with the help of rocket signals. “A swamp is located there, where the Tamis enters and floods the area. He fell in a dry part and could not get near the vehicle. It was either by helicopter or carrying him ourselves on a stretcher, by stepping through the canal in order to get him to the van,” Radojev said. He added that they “got to the pilot and that a helicopter landed in the meantime.” “There was one man there from the military ambulance and we helped him, he bandaged the man’s leg. I tried to help the man, because I saw exactly where the rocket had been fired from, that’s why I went there,” Radojev recalled.

Commission to investigate plane crash

Katanić added that members of the commission had not wanted to speak to Janik, who is still in shock after the incident, and who suffered a broken shin.

“After taking off, the flight was going according to plan until the moment of the crash, which took place at about 11:30 CET. The pilot, for hitherto unknown reasons, was forced to eject from the plane and was able to guide the aircraft to an unpopulated area, before coming down above the village of Baranda at the moment of impact,” he said.

Katanić did not want to speculate on the possible causes of the crash, stating that he expected the commission to have some answers in the next fortnight or so.

The general-major said that such accidents were common in other Air Forces, and that the Serbian military had not lost an aircraft in four and a half years prior to the crash.

“The aircraft involved was an Eagle J22, number 25-114, and was completely functional and ready for flight. The aircraft had work done to it in March of this year and, of the 1,000 approved flight hours, it had only completed about 40,” he said.

“During the pre-flight checks, which were carried out under the standard procedures, nothing was found that could point to a potential technical failure. I immediately formed a commission for investigating the causes of the accident, and, on completion of its work, it will be known what caused the pilot to eject from the plane,” Katanić explained.

The Serbian military located the pilot half an hour after the crash, with four helicopters from Belgrade and Niš participating in the rescue.

The military and the Defense Ministry thanked the police and medical team, especially two members of the public, Sava Radojev and Saša Vlah, who drove to the scene after witnessing the crash.

Radojev, who took a cast off his leg in order to get to the pilot, told B92 that the Janik had fallen into a swamp near the Tamiš River and that he had been tracked down with the help of rocket signals.

“A swamp is located there, where the Tamiš enters and floods the area. He fell in a dry part and could not get near the vehicle. It was either by helicopter or carrying him ourselves on a stretcher, by stepping through the canal in order to get him to the van,” Radojev said.

He added that they “got to the pilot and that a helicopter landed in the meantime.”

“There was one man there from the military ambulance and we helped him, he bandaged the man’s leg. I tried to help the man, because I saw exactly where the rocket had been fired from, that’s why I went there,” Radojev recalled.