Swiss fighter jet crashes in Netherlands - officials

A screenshot from a video said to show the aftermath of the crash. PHOTO: YOUTUBE

AMSTERDAM (REUTERS) - A Swiss F-5 fighter jet crashed near a northern Dutch air base on Thursday ahead of an air show in the Netherlands, emergency services said, apparently after a mid-air collision.

Video footage posted online by news website NU.nl showed the plane in free fall for several seconds.

The pilot of the plane that crashed ejected before impact, the fire department said.

Spokeswoman Brigitte Matter of the Menameradiel municipality said the pilot was not badly hurt.

"Under the circumstances, he's doing well," she said.

She said she could not confirm the cause of the crash.

National broadcaster NOS showed footage of the plane, still burning, after it crashed in a lake near a house.

There were no reports of injuries on the ground.

NOS reported that the plane may have collided with another Swiss plane which landed safely. It published a photo showing damage to that plane's rear fin.

The crash was near the northern city of Leeuwarden, about 150km north of the capital Amsterdam.

The Swiss plane, part of the Patrouille Suisse display team, had been due to take part in an air show this weekend.

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