August 25, 1999 (by Lieven Dewitte) -
An F-16 jet fighter crashed as it landed at a military base in southeast Turkey on Thursday, and the pilot parachuted safely. A missile and other ammunition exploded on impact, causing serious damage to the base in Batman.
Firefighters quickly put out a fire at the site. Batman is 625 miles southeast of the capital, Ankara.
The jet was returning to the military base after a training mission when the pilot lost control of the aircraft. Planes at the base are used to bomb Kurdish rebels battling for autonomy in the southeast of the country.
