Pakistan Air Force fighter jet crashes in Karachi, pilot killed

A Mirage fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force crashed in Karachi on Tuesday while on a routine training flight, killing the pilot. The French-made fighter jet took off from Masroor Base and crashed during flight at Musharraf colony, about 16 km from Karachi, a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) spokesman said.

The pilot was killed while trying to steer away the aircraft from residential localities, he said. "The flight was on a routine training mission when it crashed. Orders have been issued for an inquiry into the crash," he said. Police said the aircraft crashed near Musharraf colony which is close to the Masroor airbase in Karachi. "It crashed at a desolate spot so there was no casualties or damage on ground," the official said.

Rescue teams have reached the site of the crash. In September, a PAF fighter jet had crashed and its pilot killed in the country's northwestern Khyber agency bordering Afghanistan. Last year, a double-seat version of F-7PG PAF fighter jet, which was on a routine training mission, caught fire and crashed near Mastung district of Balochistan province.