Turkish F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes During Training Flight in Balikesir: Pilot Killed

A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a mission flight in the early hours of February 25, 2026, resulting in the death of the pilot. The aircraft, assigned to the 9th Main Jet Base Command in Balikesir, went down around 00:50 local time (approximately 22:50 GMT on February 24). Communication via radio and radar tracking was lost shortly after takeoff at 00:56, and search-and-rescue operations confirmed the crash, with wreckage located at the site.

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