BAF flying officer killed

An expert team of armed forces inspects the wreckage of BAF training aircraft L-39 that crashed at Madhupur in Tangail on Sunday, killing a flying officer. sun photo

Training Aircraft Crashes into Tangail CroplandA flying officer was killed and a trainee pilot injured as a training aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force crashed into a cropland at Madhupur in Tangail district Sunday, in an unfortunate recurrence of such tragedy.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) sources confirmed the plane-crash incident, saying that flying officer Reza Sharif succumbed to his injuries after he was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at Ghatail cantonment around 2:45pm.

The injured pilot, Squadron Leader Mamunur Rashid, was undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka, BAF sources said.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) sources said the training aircraft L-39 carrying the two officers took off from Kurmitola Airport in the capital around 12:30pm.

The trainer light-attack aircraft nosedived into a paddy field at Mahishmara village under Madhupur upazila in Tangail 15 minutes after its takeoff, the sources said, citing mechanical breakdown as the cause

“The accident might have taken place due to technical fault,” a Caab official told daily sun, quoting BAF officials.

Aminul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Madhupur police station, said police and firefighters rushed to the spot after getting information and launched a rescue operation with the help of local people.

They rescued Squadron Leader Mamunur Rashid and flying officer Reza Sharif with critical injuries and sent them to Madhupur Upazila Health Complex immediately, the OC added.

Later, the two were shifted to the CMH at Ghatail for better treatment where Reza Sharif succumbed to his injuries about 2:45pm, said Ekhlas Uddin, warrant officer of Bangladesh Air Force. Mamunur Rashid was shifted to the CMH in Dhaka, he added.

“Mamun is now out of danger as he sustained some cuts and bruises only,” the warrant officer said.

MA Masud, additional superintendent of police in Tangail, told daily sun that high officials of Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Army as well as district and police administrations visited the spot. The officials concerned said a three-member inquiry committee comprising BAF officials was formed to investigate the latest air crash.

Posted in: Bangladeshi News, News