Turkish Air Force F-16 Jet Crashed, Pilot Killed

A Turkish Air Force General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed minutes after takeoff from the 9th Main Jet Base in Balıkesir at approximately 00:50–00:56 local time on February 25, 2026, killing the pilot and destroying the aircraft.

The loss occurred almost immediately after departure.

The Ministry of National Defense said radio and radar contact was lost at 00:56, triggering an immediate search-and-rescue response.

Wreckage was located quickly in the Naipli area near Naipli village in Karesi district, close to the İzmir–Istanbul (Bursa–İzmir) highway.

Eyewitness footage circulating on social media showed a large fireball at impact, with debris scattered over a wide area.

The highway was closed in both directions during the initial response. No civilian casualties or infrastructure damage were reported.

The aircraft, an F-16 operated by the Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri), had been assigned to a routine mission or training flight, according to official statements.

The exact block variant and serial number have not been released. The F-16 fleet forms the backbone of Türkiye’s combat aviation capability, and the 9th Main Jet Base is a principal operating location in western Türkiye.

The ministry confirmed the death of Air Force Major (Binbaşı / Hv.Plt.Bnb.) İbrahim Bolat, stating that he was martyred in the crash.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler identified the pilot publicly, saying, “Our heroic comrade-in-arms was martyred…” His body was recovered and transferred to the Forensic Medicine Institution.

In its formal statement, the ministry added:

“The cause of the accident will be determined following an investigation by the crash examination team.”

The Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu confirmed the timing of the accident and the pilot’s death.

The Balıkesir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a judicial probe, dispatching a team that included the chief prosecutor, a deputy, and two prosecutors to the crash site.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said a “meticulous” judicial and administrative examination was under way.

No preliminary cause has been released.

The accident is the latest in a series of global F-16 incidents, though authorities have not linked it to any other event. The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, introduced in the 1970s, remains in frontline service across multiple air forces. Türkiye operates a substantial fleet across several bases, with Balıkesir’s 9th Main Jet Base serving as a key western hub.