An army helicopter crashed during a test flight in northern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five people on board, the military said.

The MI-17 helicopter came down on the runway of an airport in the northwestern city of Skardu.

"According to initial report, five persons including a pilot embraced shahadat (martyrdom)," in the crash, the military said in a statement.

It added three others, including a pilot, were injured.

Further details including the nature of the fault that led to the crash were not immediately available.