Crashed jets did not collide as investigation continues: Turkish General Staff

ANKARA

Two fighter jets which crashed on Feb. 24 did not collided in the air but the accident happened because they were flying at lower altitude than the safe level fixed for the area according to the initial examinations, the Turkish General Staff said.

The two military RF-4E planes were under no external influence, said the statement released by the army on Feb. 26.

An investigation is underway to find out what caused the accident, whether it was due to technical, administrative or human error, the General Staff said, emphasizing that it never makes superficial announcements following any incidents.

All the required aircraft maintenance had been carried out properly by qualified personnel, it added.

Contact was lost with the RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft after they took off from Malatya air base on Feb. 24 evening for planned night training. The planes came down Akçadağ district, more than 150 km north of the Syrian border, killing four pilots.

Turkey has the second largest armed forces in NATO and in recent years its fighter jets have played an active role in patrolling its troubled borders with neighbouring Iraq and Syria. In 2012 the Syrian air force shot down a Turkish RF-4E over the Mediterranean.