A Pakistani military trainer aircraft reportedly crashed near Mardan in the country’s northwest on Monday, killing both pilots on board, officials said. A video purportedly showing the accident has surfaced online, capturing the aircraft’s final moments before it slammed into the ground and burst into a massive fireball.
The crash comes less than a week after a military helicopter went down in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing all those on board.
The purported footage, shared by RT.com, shows a road with vehicles moving normally moments before the aircraft suddenly plunges to the ground. A massive fireball erupts on impact, engulfing at least two motorbikes in flames as debris scatters across the area.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Military confirms crash, deaths of two pilots
Confirming the incident, Pakistan’s military said the aircraft was on a routine training mission when it went down.
“Pakistan Air Force trainer aircraft on a routine training sortie has crashed near Mardan today,” the military’s media wing said in a statement, news agency AFP reported.
The military said two pilots were killed in the crash – one from the Pakistan Air Force and the other from the Pakistan Navy. However the authorities did not immediately disclose the type of aircraft involved in the crash.
“A board of inquiry has been constituted by Air Headquarters to ascertain the cause of accident,” it added.
The crash marks Pakistan’s second fatal military aviation disaster in under a week. On Wednesday, an army helicopter crashed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing everyone on board, the AFP report added.
Pakistan’s military has said the helicopter crash is also under investigation and was caused by a technical fault. Officials have not disclosed how many people were aboard the helicopter when it went down.
Pakistan has experienced several military and civilian aviation accidents over the years, particularly in its mountainous northern regions, where challenging terrain and weather conditions have often complicated flight operations.