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Storms unveil 1970s air crash wreckage

Friday, 24 July 2026 06:30

Venom fighter jet (c) Archives du BOM

The recent violent storms in central parts of the country have brought back memories of an horrific air crash in 1972 when a piece of debris, which had been lodged in a tree for more than 50 years, hit the ground.

Until the storms brought it down, no one knew the wreckage was in the tree in the Hondrich forest in canton Bern.

It came from a Venom fighter jet which was in a mid air collision while on exercise. The pilot was killed instantly, the other pilot escaped with minor injuries.

The metal plate, about one and a half meters long and a meter wide, will be returned to the air force.

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