Islamabad - A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) training jet crashed in the north-western district of Malakand on Thursday but the two pilots bailed out safely, officials said.

"The T-37 aircraft was on a training mission when it went down in Sakhakot area at around midday," PAF spokesman Wing Commander Aamir Zaheer said.

According to the spokesman, initial reports suggested that the trainee pilots parachuted to safety. There was no damage at the crash site, 55 kilometres north of the Risalpur airbase where the plane took off.

It is believed that mechanical failure was a factor behind the crash, but the official confirmation will come when the investigation is concluded, Zaheer said.

The American-made T-37 aircraft, acquired by Pakistan in the early 1960s, are the mainstay basic training jets of the PAF. The air force co-developed a more advanced jet with China in 1990, but only a limited number of aircraft have been inducted in the inventory. (dpa)