By RIYADH: ARAB NEWS
Published: Apr 29, 2012 23:09 Updated: Apr 29, 2012 23:21
JEDDAH: A Saudi Arabian F-15 warplane has crashed during a training mission in the northwest of the Kingdom, but its pilot was able to eject safely, the official SPA news agency reported yesterday quoting an official source at the Defense Ministry.
The Royal Saudi Air Force jet went down on Saturday in the Tabuk region, the agency said, adding that an investigation had begun to determine the cause of the crash.
The jet was the fourth to crash in Tabuk in the last four months.
On Dec. 20, an Saudi air force Hawk jet on a training mission crashed after it collided with a bird. Probers said collision with the bird led to a malfunction in one of the jet's engines. The pilot managed to eject safely.
On January 14, a Mirage aircraft of the French Air force collided with an F-15 aircraft of the Saudi Royal Air Force during a joint maneuver in Tabuk.
Pilots of both planes parachuted safely to the ground, said the report, quoting a statement issued by the Defense Ministry.
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