F-16 crash: Pakistan Air Force pilot Nauman sacrifices his life to save Islamabad population
Decorated pilot opted not to eject and crashed in woods to avoid casualties
Dubai: Wing Commander Nauman Akram who died in the Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter jet crash on Wednesday morning in Islamabad, is being hailed as a national hero.
Initial investigations in to the crash revealed that Akram sacrificed his life to save lives of civilians in Islamabad. The pilot could have ejected the plane but instead he guided the aircraft towards woods in Shakarparian, a hill resort in Islamabad and crashed. Had he ejected the jet, it would have crashed over populated area and could have lead to massive damage and casualties.
A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 aircraft crashed near Shakarparian, Islamabad during rehearsals for the March 23 parade, a Pakistan Air Force spokesperson confirmed.
Netizens heaped praise on Nauman Akram and called him a national hero. “The nation lost a gem today. You were one of our finest, your services to the country will forever be remembered,” reads a tweet.
Nauman who embraced martyrdom was one of the best pilots at the PAF. He also recently flew Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajawa in an F-16. The videos of his flight with General also went viral.
Mubashir Zaidi, a Pakistani journalist, tweeted: “Air Force officials say Shaheed Wing Commander Nauman Akram could have easily ejected when the F-16 was over Blue Area (a high-end commercial and residential area in Islamabad) but he ensured that the plane go down in a secluded area to avoid casualties on the ground.”
Wing Commander Akram was also the winner of prestigious ‘Sher Afghan’ Trophy 2019 being marksman in Inter Squadron Armament Competition. He was survived by a widow and two children.
Zain Hassan Jafri, another tweep, writes: “He didn’t eject. He gave his life for 2 reasons: To lift up the asset (F-16) and to save civilians from aircraft. But, he forgot one thing, he was the actual asset.”
A PAF statement reads: “Pakistan Air Force reports with regret that a PAF F-16 aircraft crashed near Shakarparian, Islamabad during the rehearsals of March 23 parade. A board of inquiry has been ordered by the Air Headquarters to determine the cause of accident.”
Shakarparian is a hill and famous picnic spot for residents in the capital, located near the Zero Point Interchange in Islamabad.
Watch the crash
Recent PAF aircraft crashes
A PAF trainer aircraft crashed on February 12 during a routine training mission near Takht Bhai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan district. It was the third PAF training aircraft to have crashed while on a routine training mission in less than two months.
On Feb 7, a PAF Mirage aircraft, which was also on a routine operational training mission, had crashed near the Lahore-Multan Motorway. Pilots in both cases had ejected safely.
A PAF aircraft had crashed in early January while on a training flight near Mianwali. Both pilots — Squadron Leader Haris bin Khalid and Flying Officer Ibaadur Rehman — aboard the PAF FT-7 aircraft lost their lives in the crash.