Turkish F-16 crashes after pilot ejects safely

A Turkish F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight in Yalova, northwestern Turkey, on Wednesday, and the pilot survived by ejecting, Turkey's defence ministry said.

The ministry said no one was hurt and pledged a thorough investigation into the accident.

Yalova lies southeast of Istanbul on the Sea of Marmara. CCTV footage broadcast by IHA news agency showed a plane flying at very low altitude before disappearing behind trees, followed by a cloud of black smoke.

Private broadcaster NTV said the plane crashed near an air base, rescue teams were sent to the scene and the pilot was taken to hospital.

The crash came six months after another Turkish F-16 crashed near the Bulgarian border, killing the pilot. In November, Turkey suspended flights by its C-130 cargo planes after one crashed in Georgia while returning from Azerbaijan, killing all 20 people on board.