The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Tangail

A fighter plane of Bangladesh Air Force crashed onto the ground at Paharipara village in Ghatail upazila yesterday, killing the pilot.

Officials said fatally injured in the accident, pilot squadron leader Morshed Hasan, 29, hailed from Kayaria village in Madaripur, was flown by helicopter to Dhaka Combined Military Hospital (CMH) where he died shortly after admission.

Witnesses said they saw a fireball falling from the open sky on a cropland in the area at about 12:22pm.

Tangail SP Abdul Mannan, quoting witnesses, said the pilot of the fighter jet managed to bail out from the plane in tailspin but dropped on a thatched house "as his parachute didn't open timely".

The Search and Rescue team of airforce from Dhaka rushed to the spot on receipt of the plane-crash news. The injured pilot was flown to the CMH "instantly by helicopter in unconscious state", an ISPR release in Dhaka said.

Morshed succumbed to his injuries at the hospital shortly after admission.

According to the ISPR press release, Morshed flew an F-7 fighter jet from Kurmitola Airforce base at about 11:46am on a routine training mission along with another fighter jet.

Completing the air-strike exercise, he was returning to the base when the plane caught fire for what is guessed as "technical fault".

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Shah M Ziaur Rahman visited the spot and directed the officials concerned to take necessary measures in this regard.

A three-member high-level investigation committee has been formed to probe into the matter.