Finland: Siltanews – News Desk
A Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed Wednesday near the Rovaniemi airport in Finland’s Arctic north, but the pilot was rescued after ejecting, the armed forces said.
No details were available about the cause of the crash, which occurred “in the Rovaniemi airport area” around 11:00 am (0800 GMT), the military said.
Dark smoke could be seen rising from the scene and several emergency vehicles were dispatched to the area, public service broadcaster YLE said.
The road leading to the airport was closed to traffic, and police blocked access to the airport, it added.
Airport operator Finavia told AFP that it did not expect civilian flights to be affected by the accident for the time being, with the next flight not expected for several hours.
The pilot ejected safely before impact and was taken to a medical facility for examination. The crash occurred within a designated military area, prompting an emergency response. Heavy black smoke was seen rising from the crash site, and local police cordoned off the area. No injuries were reported on the ground.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Finnish Air Force.
Despite the incident, Rovaniemi Airport remains operational, with no disruptions to civilian air traffic.
Finland operates 62 Hornet fighter jets, which are set to be replaced by Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters.