Before the crash, Flight Lieutenant Tawkir Islam, flying solo on a training mission in an F-7 aircraft, reported mechanical failure while passing over Uttara. He urgently contacted the control tower, saying, “The aircraft isn’t staying airborne. It feels like it’s rapidly descending.” The tower instructed him to eject immediately, but moments later, he lost control. Within 90 seconds, the jet crashed and caught fire, killing the pilot and injuring at least 25 others.