What happened
On Thursday, July 24, 2024, an Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon operated by the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI) crashed in the Douglas Daly region of the Northern Territory during a routine training exercise as part of Exercise Pitch Black 2024. The single pilot on board ejected safely and was subsequently rescued in good health following medical evaluation.
At approximately 10:45 am local time, the aircraft encountered an unknown issue while en route from Darwin Airport. The pilot initiated an ejection sequence and successfully departed the aircraft before it was destroyed upon impact in the Douglas Daly region.
Exercise Pitch Black is a multinational air exercise involving complex air operations and international participation. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) was notified of the incident and is gathering information regarding the circumstances of the crash.