Pilots escape death after Saudi F-15 collides with rival jet

Three pilots narrowly escaped death on Saturday, after a Saudi F15 aircraft crashed into a French Mirage during a joint maneuver in Tabuk province.

Pilots of both planes, which included one Saudi and two Frenchmen, ejected and parachuted safely to the ground after an exercise on air engagement ended badly, Saudi state media reported.

"During a joint exercise on air engagement a French Mirage aircraft belonging to the French armed forces collided with a Saudi armed forces' F-15," said a statement issued by Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

"The Saudi pilot and the two French pilots ejected safely, and were taken to the Northern Sector Command.

"Investigations are ongoing to uncover the circumstances surrounding the accident.”

Saturday's crash was the second for the Royal Saudi Air Force in the northwestern province in less than a month. In December, an air force Hawk jet crashed on a training mission in Tabuk after it collided with a bird.

The collision led to a malfunction in one of the jet's engines, reports said, forcing the pilot to eject from the aircraft.

Last May, a pilot was also killed when a Saudi F-15 crashed in the kingdom's east region. SPA said at the time that the aircraft had been on a "training mission" in the Eastern Province when encountered problems.