On Spain’s equivalent to the Armed Forces Day, the 12th of October, an aircraft taking part in the aerial display crashed, killing the pilot.

It appears that the pilot, capitán Borja Aybar, of the Eurofighter decided to stay with the plane and try to land it, rather than ejecting because he was flying over a populated area – a selfless decision that cost him his life.

This is the second Spanish pilot to lose his life flying the Eurofighter jet fighter. Captain Ayaba was 34-years old and leaves behind a widown and 4-month-old child.

The accident occurred at 12.09h near Los LLanos Airbase in Albacete – he was trying desperately to get the aircraft back to base, after experienceìng problems shortly after having completed a fly-past over the military parade in the centre of Madrid.

Editorial note: the 12th of October is not only the Virgin del Pilar, but it is also Columbus Day; i.e., the day that he ‘discovered’ America. It is also the patron saint’s day of the Guardia Civil.

(News: Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha)