An F-16 fighter jet crashed right after taking off, resulting in the pilot’s death.
The Turkish Air Force F-16 crashed close to a highway in western Turkey in the early hours of Wednesday local time. The aircraft, which departed from the 9th Main Jet Base in Balikesir province at 12:56 am (9:56 pm GMT on Tuesday), lost radio and tracking contact shortly after takeoff, as stated by the national defense ministry.
Upon the crash, security forces, firefighters, and medical teams were sent to the crash site, where the wreckage was found near a section of the Istanbul-Izmir highway. Debris was scattered over a wide area, as reported by Hurriyet newspaper.
The ministry mentioned, “Our pilot was martyred. The reason behind the accident will be established after an investigation by the crash examination team,” while extending condolences to the pilot’s family.
Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu stated, “One of our F-16 aircraft from the squadron of the Balıkesir 9th Main Jet Base Command crashed during a mission flight around 00:50, leading to the martyrdom of one of our pilots. I offer prayers for the martyr’s soul and express my sympathies to the family. May our nation find solace in this time.”
Several other F-16s, produced by US company Lockheed Martin, have crashed recently. In January, a Taiwanese F-16 crashed into the sea during a routine mission, with the pilot going missing after ejecting offshore. In Poland, an F-16 crashed in August while practicing for an air show, resulting in the pilot’s death.
