Pakistan air force Mirage crashed in SW Balochistan province; pilot ejects safely

A Pakistan air force training plane crashed on Tuesday afternoon in country's southwestern province of Balochistan, local media and officials said.

Both pilots on board, one instructor and a trainee, were safe in the incident as they ejected from the plane before it crashed, Pakistan air force (PAF) spokesman told media.

Earlier reports said that both pilots went missing after the plane crashed.

Local Urdu TV channels quoted PAF official as saying that the training plane crashed at about 02:30 p.m. local time in Othal area of Hub district in Balochistan province.

The plane took off from the PAF Base Masroor, Pakistan's largest airbase located in Mauripur area of southern port city of Karachi.

The Mirage training jet was on a routine training flight over the Hub district when it crashed.

According to PAF spokesman, they have started investigations about the matter.

Local media reported that huge fire erupted when the plane hit the ground.

Civil and army rescue teams and fire fighters rushed to the crash site.

PAF has seen a rise in air crashes in recent months.

On May 17, at least four pilots were killed and five people were injured when two PAF trainer planes crashed after bumping into each other on a training mission in Nowshera, a district some 100 km northwest of the country's capital Islamabad.


Source: ISLAMABAD - 12 June 2012 - Xinhua News

Photo: A Pakistan Air Force Mirage aircraft, while on a routine training mission crashed near Uthal on Tuesday. The pilot ejected safely, according to PAF spokesperson. No loss to civilian life or property on ground has been reported, says the spokesperson. A board of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of accident. (Photo by PAF)

(6/12/2012)