An Egyptian air force pilot was killed Tuesday when his training plane exploded in mid air and plunged into a canal near Miniya in southern Egypt, police said.
The plane, used to train students at the air force academy, had taken off from the airport 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Cairo.
Only 25 kilometers (15 miles) out of Miniya it exploded and crashed into the Bahr Yussef canal, just a hundred meters (yards) from the village of Toa.
No one on the ground was hurt.
The police did not identify the pilot or give any description of the aircraft.
Residents of Toa told police they saw a fireball in the sky before seeing the airplane plunge into the water.
Wreckage from the aircraft could later been seen floating in the canal, but the fuselage was submerged and emergency workers were attempting to recover it -- MINYA, Egypt (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
