Pilot killed after a Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during aerial patrolling near Balıkesir, Turkey, in the early hours of Wednesday, February 25. The incident took place nearthe Bursa-Izmir highway promoting emergency services, including ambulances and police teams, to rush to the site. Visuals showed debris piled up on the ground and fire. The Turkish government confirmed the incident and the pilot's death in a statement.
"One of our F-16 aircraft belonging to the squadron of the Balıkesir 9th Main Jet Base Command crashed during a mission flight around 00:50, and one of our pilots has been martyred. I pray to Allah for mercy upon our martyr and offer my condolences to his family. May our esteemed nation’s head be consoled."
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However, the reason for the crash will be investigated by the authorities. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine and supersonic fighter jet, manufactured by the US by General Dynamics and later produced by Lockheed Martin.
The jet was assigned to the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balıkesir. Radio communication and radar tracking were lost shortly after takeoff at 12.56 am.
Turkish Ministry of National Defence said, "A Turkish Air Force F-16 aircraft that took off from the 9th Main Jet Base Command-Balıkesir lost radio contact and tracking information starting from 00:56. As a result of the search and rescue efforts immediately initiated, it was determined that our aircraft had crashed, and the wreckage of the aircraft has been located. Our pilot has become a martyr. The cause of the accident will be determined following the investigation to be conducted by the accident investigation team."