Statement on Exercise Pitch Black incident

The Italian Air Force has confirmed an EFA 2000 Typhoon aircraft encountered an unknown issue during a training flight.

The pilot, who was participating Exercise Pitch Black 24, is safe and well and has been transported to hospital for precautionary checks after ejecting from their aircraft during flying operations.

At 10:45am (local time) on Wednesday 24 July 2024, the pilot made contact with aircrew in the area via radio. Australian Defence Force personnel in Darwin and Tindal responded immediately coordinating the location and recovery of the pilot. The pilot was transported to hospital in Darwin.

Exercise Commander, Air Commodore Peter Robinson, confirmed the pilot was uninjured, safe and in good spirits.

“Our Defence personnel worked rapidly and efficiently to respond to this situation and worked to help recover the pilot,” Air Commodore Robinson said.

“We train for these scenarios as part of all of our safety planning and I was pleased to see the integration of international personnel with our own to coordinate the search, rescue and recovery of the pilot to hospital within three hours. 

“I would like to thank all of those, including the Northern Territory emergency services who played a part in getting this pilot back to safety.

Exercise Pitch Black involves about 140 aircraft, 4500 personnel and 20 nations for exercises in the Northern Territory.

“We are a few weeks into the exercise and we have all formed friendships both in the Northern Territory and internationally as we rehearse and practise these complex flying activities.”

The site, outside of the Darwin and Katherine flying areas, is now the subject of a safety investigation. Defence asks people to avoid the area.