Training Flight Crashes Kill 15 in 20 Years

A training aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force has crashed near Barisal airport killing both pilots on board the PT-6 on December 20, 2010. File photo

At least 15 people have lost their lives and dozens more have been injured in training aircraft crashes across Bangladesh over the past two decades. Both Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) jets and planes operated by civilian flying academies have been involved in these accidents, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in pilot training operations.

The casualty count excludes the latest incident involving an F7 fighter jet, which crashed on Monday in Dhaka’s Uttara area. That crash marks yet another addition to the long list of aviation accidents during training missions.

Over the years, a series of fatal crashes have claimed the lives of experienced pilots and trainees alike. On May 9, 2024, Squadron Leader Asim Jawad died after his YAK130 trainer fighter jet crashed into the Karnaphuli River near Chattogram’s Patenga. Just a few years earlier, on November 23, 2018, Air Force Wing Commander Arif Ahmed Dipu was killed when his F7 fighter jet went down in Tangail’s Madhupur upazila during a routine training exercise.

In the same year, two pilots—Squadron Leader Md Serajul Islam and Squadron Leader Enayet Kabir Polash—lost their lives when their K-8W training aircraft crashed on July 1 in Jashore Sadar upazila. This tragedy remains one of the deadliest single training flight incidents in recent years.

On December 17, 2017, two YAK130 aircraft crashed simultaneously in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox’s Bazar. Fortunately, all four crew members on board those two aircraft survived after successful rescue operations.

Flight Lieutenant Tahmid was declared missing after his F7 aircraft crashed into the Bay of Bengal on June 29, 2015, during a training sortie. No trace of him or the wreckage was recovered.

On July 14, 2013, a training aircraft crashed in Baralia union of Patiya upazila, Chattogram. Flight Lieutenant Abu Jihad Arafat, the pilot, managed to escape unhurt, marking one of the few instances where a pilot survived without injuries.

Two more lives were lost when Squadron Leaders Mahmudul Huq and Ashraf Ibn Ahmed died after their aircraft crashed near Barisal airport on December 20, 2010, during a routine training mission.

Earlier in April 2008, Squadron Leader Morshed Hasan was killed when his F7 fighter jet crashed in Ghatail upazila of Tangail.

Beyond military aircraft, civilian training planes have also been involved in crashes. In June 2005, a BAF training aircraft crashed into a house in Dhaka’s Uttara area, injuring six people, including two infants.

Mechanical failure caused a BAF training aircraft to crash during take-off from the then Zia International Airport on February 27, 2003.

In a particularly tragic incident, a training aircraft crashed in Banskhali upazila of Chattogram on July 30, 2002. The crash killed the pilot along with three civilians and injured ten others.

A trainee pilot died when a training aircraft operated by a private flying institute crashed at Shah Makhdum Airport in Rajshahi on March 31, 2015.

On April 13, 2013, a Cessna 152 belonging to Bangladesh Flying Academy crash-landed and overturned during a training flight at Shah Makhdum Airport. Both the flight instructor and trainee pilot survived but sustained serious injuries.

Another fatal incident occurred on June 7, 2002, when a training aircraft of Parabat Flying Academy crashed in Dhaka’s Uttara, killing its pilot, Moklesur Rahman Sakib.

The earliest incident in this record dates back to September 27, 1998, when a Parabat Airlines training plane crashed at Postogola in Dhaka due to a technical failure, killing both pilot Faria Lara and co-pilot Rafiqul.

These recurring tragedies underscore persistent safety challenges in both military and civilian aviation training sectors in Bangladesh. Aviation experts have repeatedly stressed the need for stricter safety protocols, better maintenance standards, and modernisation of training fleets to prevent further loss of lives.