Serbian pilot goes down with plane to avoid hitting houses

A Serbian air force pilot died after staying with his crashing plane to make sure it missed houses in a small town near Belgrade today, officials said.

A second crew member aboard the Lasta (Swallow) basic trainer was injured after ejecting when the aircraft got into difficulties over Nova Pazova, some 20 kilometesr northwest of the capital, the defense ministry said.

The plane eventually crashed in the yard of a house without causing any casualties on the ground.

"There is practically no material damage except to the plane itself. One pilot ejected while another remained in the plane until the very last moment in order not to hit any houses in this inhabited area," Nova Pazova mayor Djordje Radinovic was quoted by broadcaster B92 as saying.

The military opened a probe into the incident, the fifth involving Serbian air force planes since 2006. Three people were killed in the previous crashes.