An F-16 jet from a Turkish aerobatic squadron faltered dangerously during a show in Adana. The pilot just caught up with the aircraft near the public. Memories of the Ramstein disaster resurface.
IMAGO/Xinhua
The public’s reactions oscillate between admiration and terror. Just before passing the crowd, an F-16 rolls sideways before lurching menacingly. On the videos, we have the impression that the pilot catches up with the jet in extremis, just above the public and at the last moment. Another recording shows the plane was likely on its side, further away from the public.
No official statement has been made on the incident. The military news portal The Warzone writes that Turkish authorities have opened an investigation. There is also talk of a possible malfunction of the plane rather than pilot error.
For some, the Ramstein accident in 1988 might come to mind. At the time, three jets from the Italian aerobatic squadron Frecce Tricolori collided, one of them crashed into the audience, the other into a helicopter in a state of emergency. 70 people died, hundreds more were injured.
Repeated incidents with Turkish jets
The specialist magazine “Austrian Wings” reports the incident in Turkey and recalls a fatal accident during the season of the Turkish Stars show in March 2024. At the time, a plane had gone out of control during the landing phase, the pilot had managed to eject, but the unguided plane had struck a worker on construction equipment near the landing strip. He died as a result of the accident.
“Austrian Wings” also recalls that in the past there have been several incidents with Turkish squadrons during aviation events as well as a high number of crashes in the civilian field. Thus, the Turkish Stars would no longer be invited by different air show organizers.
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