Fighter jet crashes in central Turkey, killing pilot

Fighter jet crashes in central Turkey, killing pilot

2012-03-14 21:28:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

KONYA, Turkey (BNO NEWS) -- A fighter jet crashed in the central region of Turkey on early Tuesday afternoon, killing the pilot, military officials said on Wednesday. There were no survivors.

The accident happened at around noon local time when the Northrop F-5 aircraft went down during a training mission near a factory of the Turkish Engine Industry and Trade Corporation in the province of Konya, located in Turkey's Central Anatolia Region.

"As a result of the accident, the pilot on board was killed," the Turkish military said in a brief statement, adding that the cause of the accident was not immediately known. "The accident review board will investigate the cause of the crash."

Turkish media identified the pilot, whose body was taken to the Konya Military Hospital, as Captain Umit Ozer.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed his condolences to the Turkish military forces and family members of the victim. The crash site and wreckage have been cordoned off as officials continue to investigate the accident.

In January, two crew members were killed when a small trainer-attack type Cessna T-37 aircraft of the Turkish military crashed over the Bay of Aliaga in the Aegean Sea, near Turkey's western province of Izmir. The main body of the aircraft was later located at a depth of 125 meters (410 feet), about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from Yenifoça in Izmir province.

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