Two trainer aircraft of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) collided midair near Risalpur on Thursday morning, killing all four crew members on board. The dead crew members include two under-training pilots and their instructors. The collision took place at Rashkai near the PAF stronghold in Risalpur, Nowshehra, and the two planes fell in a populated area, injuring several people, including women and children. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. It was the sixth PAF crash in seven months and the second in a week.
“Two PAF Mushshak aircraft, while on a routine training mission, crashed near Rashkai, Risalpur. Four pilots embraced Shahadat,” said a statement issued by the PAF. A board of enquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident, the statement said.Police officials confirmed the crash, saying that one aircraft fell on a house in Rashakai, while the second plane crashed into a two-storey building. Police said that several people had been injured due to the crash, and were taken to Bacha Khan Medical Complex in Mardan.
