A prototype aircraft crashed on Sunday afternoon in Yves-Gomezée (Walcourt, Namur province) during a test flight, according to several local media reports, confirmed by Sonaca aircraft in a press release.
The accident occurred around 4:00 PM after the test pilot decided to eject, Belga News Agency reports. The pilot is unharmed, and further medical examinations are underway, the Sonaca Group subsidiary said.
"The ground and flight tests were planned as part of a test campaign under the supervision of the certification authorities. The tests on Sunday 24 October were carried out in accordance with the risk management procedures defined by Sonaca Aircraft (aircraft, pilot, airspace) in an area reserved for this purpose with the aviation authorities," the statement said.
The small plane crashed in the countryside between the N5, the village of Yves Gomezee and the Rue de La Rochelle, L'Avenir reports.
The emergency services and fire brigade went to the scene, and the police set up an extensive security perimeter prohibiting access, even to the sight of the plane, according to the daily's website.
"The accident of this prototype does not call into question the airworthiness of the Sonaca 200 models and the production aircraft," Sonaca Aircraft concluded.
