Entire fleet of fighter jets ordered not to fly as engineers inspect harness system following death of Spanish pilot

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

The RAF's entire fleet of Typhoon fighter jets has been grounded after a pilot fell to his death using his ejection seat, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed today.

All 64 planes, one of the UK's most important lines of defence, were ordered not to fly after a crewman from the Spanish airforce died when his parachute came away after he ejected.

Aircraft engineers were today trying to address safety concerns concerning the £1m harness system on the ejector seat. The accident is a major embarrassment for RAF officials who are pushing a deal to buy 40 Typhoons for £2.8bn when the defence budget is under pressure to cut costs.

Pilots at RAF bases in Coningsby, Lincolnshire and Leuchars, in Scotland, were told that in the event of an emergency they would still be ordered to fly. Priority has been given to quick-reaction force Typhoons and the jets guarding the Falklands.

Typhoons in Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Saudi Arabia have also been grounded indefinitely after the fatal accident in Spain during a training flight last month. Typhoons make up the bulk of the RAF's fighter fleet.

An MoD spokesman said: "The safety of our personnel is paramount. As a precaution, non-operational Typhoon flights have temporarily been suspended pending modification."