USAF pilot ejects from Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucano

Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft.

On July 9, 2020, an Afghan Air Force A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft crashed during a training flight. The aircraft was flown by a USAF pilot who managed to eject safely.

The cause of the mishap is currently under investigation, however the first hypotheses lead to a technical failure. USFOR-A did not reveal the area of ​​the accident.

The A-29 turboprop, supplied by Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corp., is the main light attack aircraft of the Afghan Air Force used for close air support. The A-29 has two seats, but can only be flown by a single pilot.

USAF is in charge of consolidating the combat capabilities of Afghan A-29 pilots at the air base in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Afghan Air Force's fleet includes 30 A-29 aircraft: 25 are deployed in the country, while another 10 at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, for pilot training.

This marks the second A-29 accident after the one that occurred on June 22, 2018 near the Holloman air base, New York, during the USAF Light Attack Experiment.

Written by Matteo Sanzani