PAF F-16 jet crashes in Islamabad; pilot martyred

Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 aircraft crashed in Islamabad during the rehearsals of 23rd March parade, a spokesperson for the force said on Wednesday.

According to a PAF spokesman, Wing Commander Noman Akram embraced martyrdom in the incident.

Rescue teams have been dispatched towards the site of the crash, he said.

A board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the accident, the statement said.

“Pakistan Air Force reports with regret that a PAF F-16 aircraft crashed near Shakarparian, Islamabad during the rehearsals of 23rd March parade,” said the statement.

Last month, a trainer aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crashed near Mardan. A Mirage aircraft had crashed near Shorkot city of Punjab's Jhang district the week before.

According to a press release, the PAF trainer aircraft crashed on a routine training mission near Takht Bhai. The pilot safely ejected the aircraft before it fell.

The PAF said the aircraft that crashed the week before had been used for training by the air force and crashed on a routine operational training mission. The official added that no loss of life was reported in the accident.

Moreover, in January, two PAF pilots were martyred after a training aircraft crashed near the M M Alam Base in Mianwali. According to an air force spokesperson, the PAF FT-7 aircraft was also "on a routine operational training mission" when it crash-landed near Mianwali.