A female aerobatic pilot of the Chinese air force has been confirmed dead as the result of a plane crash on Saturday.
The PLA's Air Force confirmed via its official Weibo account that the accident took place during routine training.
Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke expressed regret over the death of the pilot, captain Yu Xu of the Bayi Aerobatic Performance Team, vowing that the FLA's Air Force will continue in its duties and be stringent in training.
Media reports said pilot Yu Xu was killed in a failed parachute jump when her plane crashed somewhere in Yutian County near north China's city of Tangshan.
She is the first of four female pilots in China capable of flying the country's third-generation J-10 jet fighter.
She piloted a training plane in the military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic in 2009. Her last public appearance was in the just-concluded Zhuhai Air Show.
It's reported Saturday's accident involved two planes of the Bayi Aerobatic Performance Team of PLA's Air Force.
Yu's copilot was injured and is being treated in hospital.
An investigation is underway.
Credit: CRIEnglish.com