PAF aircraft crashes near Mastung, pilot martyred

A pilot of Pakistan Air Force was martyred in an air crash on Wednesday near Mastung in Balochistan, according to a statement released after the incident.

The F-7PG aircraft was on a routine training mission at the time of the incident.

“The PAF reports with regret that an F-7PG aircraft, while on a routine operational training mission, crashed near Mastung,” it said.

A statement issued by PAF said that the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. However, a board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause.

Earlier in November, PAF C-130 cargo aircraft crash landed at Nur Khan airbase which caught fire after the hard landing but the pilot and the trainee pilot did not hurt.

The F-7PG aircraft, based on the Soviet-era Mig-21 and built by a leading Chinese aircraft manufacturer, has a spotty service record in PAF service with the majority of recent crashes involving the aircraft.

It is reported that PAF has decided to replace its entire F-7 fleet with the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft.