A fighter jet of the Royal Netherlands Air Force made a landing at Groningen Airport Eelde this morning after a collision with a bird. The pilot was able to land the F-16 safely at the airport.
Emergency services at the airport inspected the F-16 after the precautionary landing. Among other things, the crash tender of the fire service came onto the track, which is a large fire extinguishing vehicle that is mainly used at airports.
The aircraft had previously departed from Volkel Air Base for a regular flight. It seems that the aircraft will no longer depart today because a part is damaged, the Eelde airport service estimates.
According to an Air Force spokesperson, it is normal procedure to land after a collision with a bird. “Then we exclude any risk and land at the nearest base.”