وفاة أول طيارة مقاتلة باكستانية في تحطم طائرة
التاريخ: 12 صفر 1437 هـ الموافق 24 نوفمبر 2015 م
المكان: إسلام آباد
الضحايا: شخص
وفاة أول طيارة مقاتلة باكستانية في تحطم طائرة تدريب تابعة للقوات الجوية الباكستانية. وضح بيان صادر عن القوات الجوية أن طائرة حربية من طراز "أف ـ7" كانت في طلعة تدريب روتينية وتحطمت في منطقة ميانوالي بإقليم البنجاب إثر تعرضها لعطل فني. وبيّن البيان أن قائدة الطائرة مريم مختار ـ 24 عاماً ـ توفيت في الحادث بينما تعرض الطيار المساعد الرائد ثاقب عباسي لإصابات بالغة. وأشار البيان إلى أن مريم مختار تسجل الحالة الأولى لوفاة امرأة بحادث طائرة حربية في تاريخ القوات الجوية الباكستانية.
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's first female fighter pilot died today when a twin-seat fighter aircraft crashed in Punjab province on a training mission.
A statement from the Pakistan Air Force soon after the crash said "an FT-7PG aircraft, while on a routine operational training mission, crashed near Kundian (Mianwali). Both the pilots of the aircraft ejected safely and [have] been rescued. No loss of civilian life and property has been reported on ground. A board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of accident." However, it was later reported that Flying Officer Marium Mukhtiar died of injuries sustained on ejection.
Flying Officer Mukhtiar was the subject of a report by the BBC early in 2014 that covered her decision to join the PAF as a fighter pilot. Pakistan has only had female fighter pilots since 2006.
Defense News was unable to obtain more details from the PAF's Director of Media Affairs Air Commodore Muhammad Ali as further information was unavailable in the early stages of the aftermath of the crash.
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) soldiers carry the coffin
Pakistan Air Force (PAF) soldiers carry the coffin of female fighter jet pilot Marium Mukhtiar, who was killed in a crash during a training mission, at the Faisal Air Base in Karachi. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
The FT-7PG was ordered in 1999 as part of the F-7PG package. The F-7PG is a double-delta development of the Chengdu F-7 and fitted with uprated avionics by Pakistan.
Kaiser Tufail was one of the officers who evaluated the F-7PG prior to its selection and purchase. He also flew the F-7P operationally. A former air force pilot and analyst, Tufail praised the aircraft, but under certain circumstances said it can be unforgiving.
"The FT-7PG is a regular F-7P except for the cockpit switchology and layout, which is similar to the -PG version," he said. "It is a fairly safe aircraft ... until something fails drastically."
He said he understands whatever happened hampered the ability of the pilots to eject safely.
"I have no idea what might have gone wrong, but word has it that since the ejection took place at very low altitude on final approach, the fatality might have been due to a delayed ejection," he said. "Under such flight conditions involving a rate of descent, there is not giving enough time for the chute to blossom fully."