An Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon crashed on July 24, 2024, in unknown circumstances during Exercise Pitch Black in the Douglas Daly region of Australia.
The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft before it crashed near the Daly River, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles’ office told local media.
“At 10:45am (local time) on Wednesday 24 July 2024, the pilot made contact with aircrew in the area via radio,” the Australian Government Department of Defence explained in a statement. “Australian Defence Force personnel in Darwin and Tindal responded immediately coordinating the location and recovery of the pilot. The pilot was transported to hospital in Darwin.”
A Leonardo AW139 search and rescue helicopter operated by CHC Helicopters Australia recovered the pilot, who was taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital.
“We train for these scenarios as part of all of our safety planning and I was pleased to see the integration of international personnel with our own to coordinate the search, rescue and recovery of the pilot to hospital within three hours,” Exercise Commander, Air Commodore Peter Robinson, commented.
The Italian Air Force has confirmed that the pilot was in a stable condition.
“He is in good health and is completing medical tests at a hospital,” an Aeronautica Militare spokesperson said, as reported by The Aviationist. “No further damage was recorded.”
According to the Australian Defence Force, all flying operations for the rest of the day have been canceled while investigations into the cause of the crash continue.
AeroTime sent a request for comment to the Italian Air Force.
Exercise Pitch Black 24: the largest in 43 years
Exercise Pitch Black occurs every two years and focuses on large-force employment missions. It first took place in June 1981 as a three-day air defense exercise at the RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales.
This year, Exercise Pitch Black is running from July 12, 2024, until August 2, 2024, across three RAAF bases in Australia’s Northern Territory and Queensland. The RAAF states that Exercise Pitch Black 24 is the largest in its 43-year history, with 20 participating nations, over 140 aircraft from around the world, and approximately 4,435 personnel.