Turkish Air Force F‑16 fighter jet crashed near a highway in western Turkey early Wednesday, killing its pilot

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish Air Force F‑16 fighter jet crashed near a highway in western Turkey early Wednesday, killing its pilot, officials and media reports said.<br/> Radio and radar contact with the jet was lost shortly after midnight after it took off from the 9th Main Jet Base in Balikesir province, according to a defense ministry statement.<br/> Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, the ministry said, adding that the wreckage was soon located and the pilot had been “martyred.”<br/> The aircraft went down near a section of the Istanbul–Izmir highway, scattering debris across a wide area, Hurriyet newspaper reported. Security forces, firefighters, and medical teams were dispatched to the scene.<br/> The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, the ministry said, adding that an investigation would be carried out by an accident inquiry team.

Crosspost from https://lemmygrad.ml/post/10825899