Pilot killed as air force jet trainer crashes in Chittagong

The pilot of a Bangladesh Air Force Yak-130 jet trainer, that crashed in Patenga, Chittagong, on Thursday, died while undergoing treatment.

Squadron Leader Asim Jawad succumbed to his injuries at around 12:30pm at the BNS Issa Khan Hospital. He was a resident of Chittagong. 

The jet trainer crashed in Patenga at around 10:30am due to a mechanical fault. 

Shakila Soltana, deputy police commissioner (Port), Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), confirmed the matter.

Officer-in-Charge of Sadarghat Naval police station Ekram Ullah said the two pilots, Wing Commander Soham and Pilot Ashim were ejected with parachutes. Ashim's condition was critical.

According to sources, the aircraft was seen flying over the Patenga Navy Boat Club and then suddenly it caught on fire and crashed into the sea. 

Members of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, Bangladesh Navy, and Bangladesh Coast Guard are currently at the scene.

Manufactured by Russia's Irkut Corporation, the Yakovlev Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft. With its development initiated in 1991, the Yak-130 took its inaugural flight on 25 April 1996.

The Yak-130 first came to Bangladesh in 2015.