Pak Air Force jet crashes while on training mission

Islamabad (Pakistan): A Chinese-made Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jet today crashed near a town in the Punjab province while on a routine training mission due to a technical fault.

The pilot ejected safely while the plane went down near Mianwali, a small town in southern region of Punjab province.

“PAF reports with regret that a PAF F-7PG aircraft, while on a routine operational training mission, crashed near Mianwali. The pilot of the aircraft ejected safely,” a PAF statement said.

No loss of life and property has been reported in the crash, the PAF said.

A board of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

Officials said that F-7PGs were first inducted in the PAF in 2002 as a replacement for F-6, which were then de- commissioned.

The trainer FT-7PGs came later. About eight or nine F- 7PGs/FT-7PGs have been lost during the 15 years in service, which is considered within limits of air crashes.

PAF still has more than 50 of these Chinese-made aircraft.