By Noora Ibrahim.
Benghazi, 3 September 2014:
It has emerged that three people were killed and nine injured, five critically, . . .[restrict]yesterday when a Libyan Air Force Mig jet crashed into a building in Tobruk.
An Air Force officer confirmed the casualties, which included the aircraft’s pilot, to the Libya Herald saying that one of the dead included a young boy.
The officer also said that the plane may not have crashed, as was suspected, as a result of a technical fault but because its pilot suffered a heart-attack in mid air. He explained that surveys of the wreckage had not provided any clues as to the plane’s malfunctioning and that the plane’s pilot, Rafa Al-Farani, had not sent out any distress signal just prior to the crash.
The accident occurred during a memorial ceremony for another pilot who died when his plane crashed just four days ago. Farani was in his fifties and lived in Tobruk with his family. He was originally from Benghazi.
The crash took place during a service of remembrance for Air Force officer Ibrahim Al-Manifi who died on Saturday when his aircraft suffered a technical fault over Beida while flying from Tobruk to Benghazi.
In July a Mig jet fighter being used by the Operation Dignity crashed into waste ground in Kuwaifiya in Benghazi. However, no one was hurt after the the pilot was able to eject safely. Operation Dignity said at the time the crash was due to a technical problem although Ansar Al-Sharia claimed it had shot down the jet.
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