Pakistani Air Force trainer aircraft crashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during routine sortie, both pilots killed

A Pakistan Air Force trainer aircraft crashed on Monday (local time) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing both pilots on board.

The military said the aircraft was on a routine training sortie when it crashed near Mardan. Both pilots, Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah of the Pakistan Air Force and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi of the Pakistan Navy, were killed in the accident.

Islamabad's Air Headquarters has constituted a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the crash.

Field Marshal Asim Munir, the service chiefs of Pakistan, and all ranks of the Pakistan Armed Forces expressed grief over the loss of life and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the statement said.

Pakistan PM, President express condolences

Geo News on Monday reported that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences over the crash of a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft that claimed the lives of two pilots.

In separate statements, Zardari paid tribute to Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Qasim Abdullah and Lieutenant Taha Abbasi, who lost their lives in the accident. According to the report, Zardari also prayed for the 'elevation of the martyrs' ranks and for strength and patience for their bereaved families.'

Zardari noted that Islamabad would always remember the sacrifices of its brave sons who laid down their lives in defence of the country, and extended heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the grieving families.

Expressing sorrow over the crash, Pakistani PM Sharif offered condolences on the "martyrdom" of both pilots. He prayed for the departed souls and for the bereaved families to "bear the loss with courage and fortitude."

He said the professionalism and dedication of Pakistan's armed forces in defending the country were unparalleled, and extended his sympathies to the families of the two martyred officers.

Second aircraft crash in five days

According to Geo News, the latest air crash occurred nearly five days after another aircraft accident. On 10 June, an Mi-17 helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Muzaffarabad due to a “technical fault” that occurred during the chopper’s take-off, the military's media wing said.

The crash near Mardan is the latest in a series of military aviation accidents in Pakistan over the past decade, several of which have claimed the lives of pilots and senior military personnel.

Aircraft crashes in Pakistan

Dawn reported that in September 2025, five personnel died after an army helicopter crashed in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district after a “technical fault”. In a separate incident reported in August, a rescue helicopter of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government crashed in the Mohmand district due to bad weather, killing two pilots and three crew members.

In 2022, two army helicopters crashed in the second half of the year. The first incident was reported in August 2022, when the wreckage of a Pakistani helicopter was discovered in Balochistan’s Lasbela district a day after it went missing. All six people on board, including Commander 12 Corps Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, embraced martyrdom in the incident.

Later in September that year, six army officials, including two majors, lost their lives following a helicopter crash during a mission near Khost in Balochistan’s Harnai.