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Turkish F-16 crash - SAR efforts continue

January 16, 2004 (by Fantasma337) - Teams are searching for the wreckage of an F-16 Fighting Falcon which crashed near Tavsanli town of western Kutahya province after it took off from Main Jet Base in northwestern Balikesir province on Friday.
The search-rescue teams, which were immediately sent out after the warplane crashed, have so far found no sign of either the plane's wreckage or the pilot.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon disappeared from radars while it was flying near the small town of Tavsanli, some 300 kilometers (190 miles) west of the capital Ankara, Turkey.

Heavy snowfall and fog negatively affect search-rescue efforts. Teams could not reach wreckage and there is no word yet on the fate of the F-16 pilot.

Besides teams of Turkish Air Forces, many search-rescue teams came to the region. Forest guard personnel and villagers also participate in search efforts.

Friday's crash came four days after a F-4 Phantom on a training flight also went down in the west of the country due to a technical failure, killing the two pilots on board.

Update: An Anatolia news agency said the name of the pilot was Lt. Mehmet Karakuzu