Fourteen aircraft of the Pakistan
Air Force (PAF) have been destroyed or damaged in thirteen cases
of aircraft crashes, fire eruption or emergency landings in over a year.
According to the data available,
more than 10 PAF officers including an air commodore, six squadron
leaders, and two flight lieutenants have been killed in the aircraft
crashes since October last year, reports The Nation.
The destroyed or damaged
aircrafts include Mushak, Mirage, F-7, F-7 PG, JF-17 Thunder and an
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Falco-I Selex- the only type of
surveillance drone the PAF has at present.
After every aircraft crash, the
PAF would issue a one-liner, “A board of inquiry has been ordered to
determine the cause of accident”. The details of these inquiries, however, are neither shared publicly nor any relevant details are made available to the media.
“These are internal probes of highly sensitive nature. Only the PAF top brass remains privy to relevant details,” a PAF official said.“I think the repeated aircraft crash incidents are a result of the poor technical and engineering oversight. It’s the job of engineering branch to ensure that aircraft is well maintained and fully fit for flying operations. The pre-flight and post-flight inspections are carried out to examine if all the parts of an aircraft are functioning properly,” Air Commodore (r) Ali Raza, said.
“The PAF is extensively
engaged in the war on terror on the Western border. This kind of
operational engagement requires hectic operational preparedness that
involves excessive professional training and other standby arrangements.
This could be a constraint for effective aircraft maintenance and
repair,” he added.
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