Pakistan: PAF trainer aircraft crashes near Mardan, both pilots die during training sortie

Islamabad [Pakistan]: A trainer aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Monday crashed near Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Mardan city during a routine training mission, killing both pilots on board, according to a news report by the Dawn.

Quoting a statement issued by the Paksitan military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Dawn reported that the aircraft was on a routine training sortie when it crashed. The accident claimed the lives of Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah from the PAF and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi from the Pakistan Navy.

The ISPR said both officers died in the line of duty. It added, "A board of inquiry has been constituted by Air Headquarters to ascertain the cause of the accident."


According to the news report, Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir, other services chiefs and "all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces express deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families".

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, also expressed grief over the crash and paid tribute to the deceased pilots.

In a post on X, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed grief over the "tragic crash" and paid tribute to the deceased pilots.

He said, "Deeply grieved by the tragic crash of a Pakistan Air Force trainer aircraft near Mardan during a routine training sortie. We pay tribute to Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah (PAF) and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi (Pakistan Navy), who embraced Shahadat in the line of duty."

Earlier on June 10, a Mi-17 helicopter of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad during take-off "due to a technical fault". All personnel on board have died. There were no survivors, Pakistan's Dawn reported, citing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

"All personnel on board embraced martyrdom. There were no survivors," the ISPR said in a statement, as cited by Dawn.

The statement said that the recovery teams rushed to the site. "A board of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact technical cause of the accident," the military's media affairs wing stated, as per Dawn.

Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir and all ranks of the army "express deep grief over the tragic loss of precious lives and extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families", the ISPR said in its statement.

The cause of the crash was unclear, and a board of inquiry was ordered to ascertain the glitch that led to the incident, as per Geo News.