A Saudi Air Force training jet has crashed in northwestern Saudi Arabia, with the pilot parachuting to safety. An official source at the Ministry of Defense said that the British-made BAE Hawk jet crashed while on a training mission Tuesday morning when it collided with a bird, which led to a malfunction in one of its engines. The source says the pilot bailed out and was uninjured after he managed to direct the plane to crash in an uninhabited area in Tabuk province. In May, a US-made F-15 fighter jet crashed in the Eastern Province in an evening routine training flight. Saudi Arabia announced last fall a $60 billion deal to buy 84 new F-15 fighter jets.
