A video of the exact moment of Pakistan’s F-16 plane crash goes viral

• The F-16, which crashed near Shakarparian, Islamabad was rehearsing for a Pakistan Day airshow scheduled on March 23.
  
• The footage shot from nearby buildings, shows the moment when the plane came down, is trending on social media.
  
• A Pakistani wing commander Nauman Akram was martyred in the crash, PAF confirmed.

After an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crashed near Shakarparian, Islamabad, a video of the crash went viral on the internet with hundreds of people sharing it.

The F-16 built by the US, was a part of rehearsals for a Pakistan Day airshow and parade set to take place on March 23, according to a statement by the Pakistan Air Force. PAF also confirmed that a wing commander Nauman Akram lost his life during the crash.

The footage shot from nearby buildings is trending on social media. It shows the moment when the plane came down with smoke and flames raising blew into the sky.

PAF rescue teams rushed to the site of the crash and an inquiry has been ordered by Pakistan Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the accident, according to IANS.

The speaker of the national assembly of Pakistan Asad Qaiser tweeted a picture of late Nauman Akram and wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate crash ahead of March 23. May the departed soul of Shaheed Wing Commander Noman Akram rest in eternal peace and may Allah grant their loved ones sabr. Ameen.”


Fourth plane crash in 3 months

The news came days after PAF reported its third plane crash in three months. As recently as February 12, a PAF trainer aircraft crashed during a routine training mission near Takht Bhai in Khyber. On February 7, a PAF Mirage aircraft was on an operational training mission, when it crashed near Lahore-Multan Motorway. However, pilots in both these cases had ejected safely.

In January, a PAF aircraft crashed near Mianwali while on a training mission, in which both PAF pilots, named Squadron Leader Haris bin Khalid and Ibaadur Rehman lost their lives.

The F-16 jets are among the most valuable contributions in the Pakistan military’s arsenal. It has a fleet of about 50 F-16 jets and each is worth at least $40 million.