Air force chief orders jets grounded after near-misses
Planes to take one-day break from drills after two fighters narrowly avoid mid-air collision
All Israel Air Force fighter planes were grounded for a day on Sunday, following a series of recent near-crashes in the air.
IAF head Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel ordered the planes to take a one day break after a recent incident where two planes almost collided mid-flight.
No other details about the near miss were available.
The IAF said planes would continue to fly in operations and general air force activities would continue unabated on the ground. The planes were expected to return to normal operational status on Monday.
Earlier this year, a fighter jet and refueling plane were forced to make emergency landings when an attempt to link up went awry and the fuel hose damaged the glass above the jet’s cockpit.
Last year, the fleet was grounded for two days after an F-16 hit a tree while attempting a landing at Ramat David Air Force base in northern Israel. The pilot was able to land safely.
