Pilot dies in UAE plane crash

Fighter jet pilot dies when plane crashes during routine flight, UAE military says.

February 4, 2011 / Abu Dhabi/ A UAE Mirage 2000 flies during the Al Ain Air Show February 4, 2011. (Sammy Dallal / The National)
Powered by automated translation

ABU DHABI // A fighter jet pilot was killed on Tuesday when his aircraft crashed during a routine training flight.

The pilot who died was First Lt Pilot Suhail Mubarak Abdullah Al Dhaheri. His aircraft was believed to be a Dassault Mirage 2000, one of more than 60 in the Air Force fleet.

MORE UAE NEWS: Our pick of today's top local news stories

Facebook Ramadan insult earns Briton Dh3,000 fine Woman called her female colleague a dictator and a bin Laden follower, a Dubai court has been told. Read article

Doctor suspended in Dubai on murder charge has job in Al Ain Intensive-care chief on trial for murder is working in hospital. Read article

Dubai Police investigate possible hacking of their tweets Police investigate possibility that someone within the force, or a former employee, is making unauthorised and malicious use of their account. Read article

A short statement released by the Armed Forces and published on WAM, the state news agency, gave no details of the exact location or cause of the crash.

A man who said he knew the pilot’s brother told The National the fighter crashed in the desert between Liwa in Al Ain and Al Dhafra in Abu Dhabi.

He said the pilot was from Fujairah and that his family name was Al Dhohori.

Prayers for the pilot were held yesteday afternoon at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Dibba, Fujairah.

According to Islamic rituals, the body should be buried after prayers in his memory. Condolences are being offered to the victim’s family.

In November last year a British-made Hawk trainer aircraft crashed in Ras al Khaimah, killing the pilot.

hdajani@thenational.ae

* Additional reporting by Amna Al Haddad