Turkish training plane crashes into sea, pilots missing

Turkish training plane crashes into sea, pilots missing

2011-07-14 19:11:28 GMT+7 (ICT)

IZMIR, TURKEY (BNO NEWS) -- A small Turkish training plane crashed into the sea on Thursday, leaving the pilot and possibly a trainee missing, officials said.

Cahit Kirac, governor of Turkey's western province of Izmir, confirmed the accident, which occurred at around 12.10 p.m. local time when the small aircraft crashed into the Aegean Sea off the coast of Guzelbahce, the Anadolu Ajansi news agency reported.

According to Kirac, the twin-engine Cessna T-37 Tweet, a primary jet training aircraft, took off from the 2nd Main Jet Base Flight Training Center Command. However, while the pilot remains missing, officials are still unsure whether a trainee was on board as well.

Emergency teams have not found the exact crash site, Kirac said, but according to witnesses, no pilots were seen ejecting from the aircraft prior to the crash. Currently, the Turkish Coast Guard with the help of their divers and police forces are searching for the aircraft and pilots.

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