Wreckage of missing Turkish military plane found in sea

Wreckage of missing Turkish military plane found in sea

2012-01-18 08:33:55 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (BNO NEWS) -- The wreckage of a small Turkish military aircraft which went missing over the Aegean Sea on Monday was found on Tuesday morning, the military said. The two crew members are believed to have been killed.

Contact with the trainer-attack type Cessna T-37 jet aircraft was lost at around 4:05 p.m. local time on Monday while the aircraft was conducting a training mission over the Bay of Aliaga in the Aegean Sea, near Turkey's western province of Izmir. Two crew members were on board.

The military quickly initiated a large search-and-rescue operation to find the aircraft and its crew members, but without immediate success. The operation involved a CN-235 type aircraft, Cougar helicopters, three Coast Guard boats, and several Navy ships.

The wreckage was discovered at around 10:55 a.m. local time on Tuesday, according to Turkey's General Staff. The main body of the aircraft is located at a depth of about 125 meters (410 feet), about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from Yenifoça in Izmir province.

Officials said the bodies of the two missing men are believed to be inside the aircraft.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-18