A Chinese built FT-7 jet aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force crashed over civilian areas near Mianwali, a major city in Punjab, injuring six people.
The fighter was on a routine training mission when it crashed, but both the pilots bailed out safely, the Pakistan Air Force said in a statement here.
The plane crashed 40 kilometres south of Mianwali damaging three houses. The injured were evacuated by a special C-130 aircraft to a military hospital in Rawalpindi for treatment, it said.
“On the instructions of Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, the PAF will fully compensate the damage occurred on ground and provide free medical facilities to injured persons,” it said.
A board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of accident, the statement said.
Pakistan Air Force has a big fleet of Chinese aircraft, including F-7PG and A-5s. It has recently acquired fourth generation medium-range, JF-17 or thunder jets which are being manufactured jointly. These aircrafts have so far not made any public appearance.
Besides these, the Pakistan Air Force has US-made F-16 fighting falcons and French-made Mirages.
