Watch: Turkish Air Force F-16 Crashes During Training Flight

Footage of the fighter jet crash (use permitted under Section 27A)

A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed today (Wednesday) in Yalova Province in northwestern Turkey after experiencing a malfunction during a training flight. The pilot successfully activated the ejection seat, exited the aircraft in midair, and landed by parachute. He survived the crash and was taken for medical treatment.

The accident occurred during a training flight in the Yalova Airport Command area. According to reports, the fighter jet crashed near the 18th Main Jet Base, in the area of the town of Taşköprü.

Medical and firefighting crews were dispatched to the scene shortly after the crash. The pilot, who managed to parachute from the aircraft before it hit the ground, was taken to Yalova Training and Research Hospital for treatment.

Turkey's Defense Ministry confirmed the crash and the pilot's rescue: "One of our Air Force F-16 aircraft crashed in Yalova during a training flight; the pilot ejected and survived." The ministry said an investigation would be opened to determine the circumstances of the incident.