25 February 2026, 08:15 A Turkish Air Force pilot has died during a “training flight incident”
A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight in western Türkiye early Wednesday, claiming the life of the pilot, local authorities have confirmed.
The aircraft, assigned to the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balikesir, went down at around 1 AM local time. Officials said radio contact with the fighter was lost shortly after takeoff, prompting immediate search-and-rescue operations.
Emergency teams later located the wreckage and confirmed that the pilot had died in the crash.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense has identified the pilot as Major Ibrahim Bolat. It said the exact cause of the accident remains unknown and will be determined following a technical investigation by an official crash assessment team.
izmir otobanı Uçak Kazası pic.twitter.com/mVx2OAnTzT
— Ahmet Olukoğlu (@AhmetOlukoglu) February 24, 2026
Balikesir Governor Ismail Ustaoglu said the aircraft crashed during what was described as a routine flight. He extended condolences to the pilot’s family and praised him as a “martyr” who died in the line of duty.
SONDAKİKA / Balıkesir Valisi İsmail Ustaoğlu:
"Balıkesir 9. Ana Jet Üssü Komutanlığı filosuna ait F-16 uçağımız görev uçuşu esnasında kaza kırıma uğramıştır.
1 pilotumuz şehit olmuştur."
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