Two Pakistani Army pilots killed as training aircraft crashes near Quetta
Synopsis
A Mushshak training aircraft of Pakistan Army Aviation went down near Quetta's Nawan Killi on Monday, killing instructor Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun and student pilot Captain Abdul Samad. It is at least the fourth Pakistani military or government aviation crash since mid-2024 — a pattern that raises pointed questions about fleet airworthiness and maintenance standards.
Key Takeaways
A Pakistan Army Mushshak training aircraft crashed near Nawan Killi, Quetta on Monday, 12 October 2025 .
Both pilots — instructor Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun and student Captain Abdul Samad — were killed.
The ISPR attributed the crash to a 'technical fault'; a formal inquiry is expected.
In June 2025 , a Pakistan Army Mi-17 crashed near Muzaffarabad (PoK) , killing all on board.
In September 2024 , five crew members died in a Pakistan Army helicopter crash in Diamer, PoGB .
In August 2025 , five crew members were killed when a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government relief helicopter crashed in Mohmand district .
Two Pakistan Army pilots were killed on Monday, 12 October 2025, after a training aircraft crashed near Quetta's Nawan Killi area following what the military described as a 'technical fault'. The incident marks the latest in a string of aviation accidents to have struck Pakistan's armed forces in recent years.
What Happened
According to a statement from Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — the official media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces — a Mushshak training aircraft belonging to Pakistan Army Aviation went down near Nawan Killi on the outskirts of Quetta. The ISPR confirmed the aircraft developed a technical fault before crashing.
The two pilots killed in the crash were identified as Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun, who was serving as the instructor, and Captain Abdul Samad, a student pilot undergoing training, according to reports citing the Pakistani daily Dawn.
A Pattern of Crashes
This is not an isolated incident. In June 2025, a Mi-17 helicopter of the Pakistan Army's aviation wing crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) due to a technical fault during take-off, killing all personnel on board. The ISPR had at the time dispatched rescue and recovery teams to the site and ordered an inquiry to determine the exact technical cause.
In September 2024, five crew members died after a Pakistani army helicopter crashed in the Diamer district of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB), again attributed to a technical fault. All crew members on board perished in that crash as well.
Earlier, in August 2025, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government helicopter carrying flood relief supplies crashed in a tribal district, killing five crew members, according to reports citing Pakistani daily The Express Tribune. The then-Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, confirmed that the Mi-17 aircraft went down in Mohmand district while en route to the flood-hit Salarzai area of Bajaur district after losing contact in bad weather. Gandapur confirmed all crew members on board had died.
Inquiry Ordered
As is standard procedure following such incidents, Pakistan's military authorities are expected to initiate a formal inquiry into the Monday crash to establish the precise technical cause. The ISPR has not provided additional details beyond identifying the victims and citing the technical fault as the reason for the crash.
Broader Context
The recurring nature of these aviation accidents has raised questions about the airworthiness of Pakistan Army's ageing aircraft fleet. The Mushshak — a light trainer aircraft — has been in service with Pakistan Army Aviation for decades. Critics have previously argued that deferred maintenance and budget pressures on Pakistan's defence sector may be contributing factors to the frequency of such incidents, though no official inquiry has publicly established this as a cause. The Monday crash underscores the continuing risk faced by military aviation personnel in the country.
Point of View
And the Mushshak fleet is ageing; yet no official linkage between maintenance underfunding and crash rates has been established on the record. Until Pakistan's military publishes inquiry outcomes and acts on them transparently, the pattern will continue to raise more questions than it answers.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the pilots killed in the Quetta aircraft crash?
The two pilots killed were Major Husnain Shehzad Humayun , the instructor, and Captain Abdul Samad , a student pilot. Both were personnel of Pakistan Army Aviation who died when their Mushshak training aircraft crashed near Nawan Killi, Quetta on Monday.
What caused the Pakistan Army aircraft to crash near Quetta?
According to an ISPR statement, the Mushshak training aircraft developed a 'technical fault' before crashing near Nawan Killi on the outskirts of Quetta. A formal inquiry is expected to determine the precise cause.
What is the Mushshak aircraft?
The Mushshak is a light single-engine training aircraft that has been in service with Pakistan Army Aviation for several decades. It is used primarily to train student pilots in basic flying skills.
How many similar crashes has Pakistan's military experienced recently?
At least three other significant Pakistani military or government aviation crashes have been reported since mid-2024 — a Mi-17 near Muzaffarabad in June 2025, a helicopter in Diamer (PoGB) in September 2024, and a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government helicopter in Mohmand district in August 2025 — each killing all or most personnel on board.
Has an inquiry been ordered into the Quetta crash?
Based on standard procedure and the ISPR's pattern in previous similar incidents, a formal inquiry is expected to be ordered to determine the exact technical cause of the crash. No further details have been officially announced beyond the identification of the victims.
