An F-16 fighter jet belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces crashed on Wednesday, 12 August, during a training flight whilst flying over the province of Yalova, in north-western Turkey. The pilot managed to eject from the aircraft before impact and parachuted to safety, thus surviving the plane crash, which was filmed by several eyewitnesses.
The Ministry of National Defence announced that an F-16 aircraft belonging to the Air Force Command had crashed in Yalova during a training flight and confirmed that the pilot had managed to eject and survive, according to the Turkish newspaper Milliyet. The ministry’s statement noted that “one of our Air Force F-16s crashed in Yalova during a training flight. Our pilot ejected and survived. The cause of the accident will be determined following a detailed investigation”.
The pilot survived but was taken to hospital
The governor of Yalova province, Ahmet Hamdi Usta, also inspected the scene of the accident and confirmed that the pilot had survived. “There are no issues concerning any of our civilian or military personnel. The accident investigation team is at work,” he said.
Usta explained that the aircraft had crashed in an area outside the grounds of the 18th Air Base Command: “There are no residential areas. There are no civilian or military casualties. Our pilot was taken to hospital as a precaution, but there are no concerns. We are carrying out the necessary investigations,” he said.
The governor subsequently provided further details about the incident in a statement, which reported that “Today, at around 15:00, one of our F-16 fighter jets unfortunately crashed during a training flight right next to the grounds of our 18th Air Base Command in Çiftlikköy (east of the city of Yalova). Thank God, our pilot survived the crash unharmed. Apart from our pilot, there were no casualties amongst civilian or military personnel in the area where the aircraft crashed”.
“Immediately after the incident, our emergency teams, including members of AFAD, UMKE and the fire service, arrived at the scene as quickly as possible. They reached the wreckage of the aircraft without any risk of fire or damage to the surrounding area, and the necessary measures were taken. The accident investigation team has also begun its technical work. I am confident that they will complete their work as soon as possible and that the necessary statements will be issued,” added Usta.
Footage shows the moment of impact
Meanwhile, new footage has emerged showing the moment the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 fighter jet crashed whilst on a training flight over Yalova. The footage, broadcast by various media outlets and recorded by eyewitnesses, shows the very moment of the crash in full detail, second by second.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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