A senior officer of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) embraced martyrdom when his aircraft crashed near Mianwali while on a routine operational flight, read a statement issued by the air force's media wing on Wednesday.

Wing Commander Mohammad Shahzad was flying an F-7 aircraft when it reportedly encountered a technical fault and crashed near the Sabzazar area of Mianwali late on Tuesday.

The body of the deceased pilot was recovered from the site of the incident and shifted to PAF Base M M Alam, Mianwali, where the funeral prayers were offered, read the release.

An investigation into the crash has been launched by the air force.

F-7PGs were first inducted in the PAF in 2002 as a replacement for the F-6, which were then decommissioned. The trainer FT-7PGs came later. The PAF had previously operated F-7Ps.

About nine or 10 F-7PGs/FT-7PGs have been lost during their 15 years in service. The PAF has more than 50 of the Chinese-made aircraft in its fleet.

The losses of F-7PGs/FT-7PGs in air crashes are within normal limits, aviation experts claim.