Overview
- A Pakistan Air Force trainer aircraft crashed near Mardan on Monday, killing both pilots during a routine training sortie.
- Military officials identified the dead as Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi and said Air Headquarters has constituted a board of inquiry to determine the cause.
- Rescue and recovery teams were dispatched to the crash site and local footage showed debris and injured civilians, but reports differ on whether two or three people were hurt.
- The Mardan crash follows a June 10 Army Mi-17 helicopter accident that killed all aboard and has left both incidents under separate investigations for possible technical faults.
- Findings from the inquiries could lead to changes in maintenance, overhaul and training procedures, while families of the deceased and nearby civilians face immediate personal and medical impacts.