F-16 Fighting Falcon News

March 11, 2020 (by Asif Shamim) - A Pakistani Air Force F-16 crashed during practice rehearsals for the Pakistan Day military parade over the capital of Islamabad with the loss of the pilot, Wing Commander Noman Akram.
The F-16 (#92730) crashed in woods near Shakarparian area of the city. No damage or casualties on the ground have been reported.

"Rescue teams have been dispatched to the site of the crash," the statement said, adding that "a board of inquiry has been ordered by Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the accident."

Footage on social media showed a large plume of smoke billowing into the sky after the plane plummeted to the ground, having apparently attempted a loop.

Pakistan’s Air Force said that it would investigate the cause of the crash and that it was too early to determine whether it was the result of a technical failure or a bird strike. The jet was performing a standard manoeuvre at a low altitude before it crashed, officials said.