US drone crashes in Turkey’s south

ADANA – Anadolu Agency

DHA photo

A predator drone belonging to the U.S. military crashed in a field after taking off from the İncirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana early on Feb. 3.

Authorities conducted examinations in the field where the drone crashed in the Doğankent neighborhood of Yüreğir district, some 20 kilometers from the İncirlik Air Base. Police took security measures at the scene and two trailer trucks were brought to the area to transport the drone back to the military base. 

In an official statement on its website, the 39th Comptroller Squadron announced that the MQ-1 Predator crashed at 1:40 a.m. on Feb. 3 due to a “mechanical breakdown.”

“According to initial evaluations, there was a mechanical breakdown with the drone. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the accident with certainty,” the statement said. 

Another MQ-1 predator drone crashed in the Kumlu district of the southern district of Hatay near Turkey’s border with Syria on Oct. 20, 2015. Turkish jets also shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle of unknown nationality in the southern province of Kilis on Oct. 16, 2015.