Tornado jet crashes during training mission in Germany; crew ejects safely

BERLIN – The German military says a Tornado combat jet crashed on a training mission but both the pilot and co-pilot were able to eject to safety.

The Bundeswehr says the jet crashed Thursday night in western Germany near the city of Koblenz, a few kilometers (miles) from its base.

The military said in a statement Friday that the pilot suffered minor injuries after ejecting and the co-pilot was unharmed, but both were taken to hospital for observation.

The unarmed plane crashed near a major highway, and the impact threw so much debris onto the road that it had to be closed down for several hours.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.