Swiss fighter jet and pilot missing

A Swiss F/A-18C fighter jet has gone missing, with no word from the pilot. The jet had been flying over the Susten Pass area when it disappeared, reported the Federal Department of Defence on Monday afternoon. The single-seat aircraft had been participating in a training mission with another jet in a thick layer of clouds. Last contact with the missing pilot was at 16:05 Swiss time. “We hope and pray,” said Swiss Air Force Commander Aldo Schellenberg when asked about the pilot’s chances of survival. At a media conference in Bern on Monday evening, Schellenberg said his thoughts were with the pilot and his family. Search measures are currently underway between Meiringen, canton Bern, and Andermatt, canton Uri, according to the Federal Department of Defence. Current weather conditions are preventing search efforts via helicopter, so the search and rescue parties are travelling on foot. Both the aircraft and the ejector seat are equipped with transmitters, which has ...