A Turkish F-5 military jet crashed on Tuesday in Iconium (Konya), Turkey. The Ministry of National Defence announced that the pilot managed to eject himself and survived the accident.
The ministry, according to Daily Sabah, said in a statement that the aircraft’s engines stopped after being struck by a bird. He added that the pilot is in hospital and is in good health.
Konya’da Türk Yıldızlarımıza ait F-5 Eğitim uçağı düşmüştür. Pilotumuzun sağ kurtulmuş olması sevindiricidir. pic.twitter.com/jOybM9u0c1
— Esad Eruyar (@LEEruyar) December 6, 2022
The plane belonged to the Turkish Stars, the aerial flight demonstration team of the Turkish Air Force, which is known for its stunts at air show events. Turkish Stars have lost two members in crashes since the team was founded in 1992.
Both crashes happened in Iconium where they are based. In 2021, Burak Jetselep died when his plane crashed during a training exercise.