Two Pakistan Army pilots were killed on Monday when a Mushshak training aircraft crashed near Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, the military said.
What happened
The aircraft went down near Nawan Killi on the outskirts of Quetta around midday while on a training mission, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistani armed forces. The military attributed the crash to a technical fault.
The pilots were identified by the ISPR as Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun, an instructor pilot, and Captain Abdul Samad, a student pilot. Both were serving with Pakistan Army Aviation.
Official reaction
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths and extended condolences to the bereaved families, according to state media. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the crash and offered condolences to the families of the two officers.
Recent history of training crashes
The accident follows other fatal military aviation incidents in Pakistan this year. In June, a Pakistan Air Force training aircraft crashed during a routine training mission near Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing both pilots on board, and a Pakistan Army Mi-17 helicopter crashed during take-off near Muzaffarabad. Boards of inquiry were set up to determine the causes of those crashes, and no official finding on this latest accident has been announced beyond the military's statement attributing it to a technical fault.
Sources: Geo News: Two Pakistan Army pilots martyred in trainer aircraft crash incident in Quetta, India TV News: Pakistan Army training aircraft crashes near Quetta, two pilots killed
What happened
The aircraft went down near Nawan Killi on the outskirts of Quetta around midday while on a training mission, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistani armed forces. The military attributed the crash to a technical fault.
The pilots were identified by the ISPR as Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun, an instructor pilot, and Captain Abdul Samad, a student pilot. Both were serving with Pakistan Army Aviation.
Official reaction
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths and extended condolences to the bereaved families, according to state media. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the crash and offered condolences to the families of the two officers.
Recent history of training crashes
The accident follows other fatal military aviation incidents in Pakistan this year. In June, a Pakistan Air Force training aircraft crashed during a routine training mission near Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing both pilots on board, and a Pakistan Army Mi-17 helicopter crashed during take-off near Muzaffarabad. Boards of inquiry were set up to determine the causes of those crashes, and no official finding on this latest accident has been announced beyond the military's statement attributing it to a technical fault.
Sources: Geo News: Two Pakistan Army pilots martyred in trainer aircraft crash incident in Quetta, India TV News: Pakistan Army training aircraft crashes near Quetta, two pilots killed
