Training plane crash in Bursa kills two aboard

BURSA

A training aircraft crashed into the apron of the northwestern city of Bursa's Yenişehir Airport on Sept. 23, killing both the pilot instructor and a trainee.

The crash occurred at around 8 a.m., claiming the lives of 61-year-old pilot instructor Ünal Aster and 43-year-old instructor candidate Emir Gülal Nalcı.

The aircraft, owned by Fenix Aviation, went down shortly after takeoff during a "touch and go" training maneuver, officials confirmed.

Both judicial and administrative investigations have been launched to determine the exact cause of the incident, Bursa Governor's Office said in a written statement.

Authorities await the findings of an expert report as the wreckage of the plane is set to be removed after the initial inquiry is completed.

Last month, a two-person training plane made an emergency landing in a field in neighboring Çanakkale due to an engine failure.

Both the pilot and the instructor sustained slight injuries. Çanakkale Governor Ömer Toraman reported no major damage to the plane.

The incident follows a recent tragedy in June, when a Turkish army training plane crashed in the central city of Kayseri, killing two pilots.

The SF-260D aircraft, which had taken off from a main base command in the province, went down under unclear circumstances.

Uğur Yıldız and Gökhan Özen died when the plane crashed into an agricultural area.

The chief public prosecutor's office in Kayseri has launched an investigation into the crash.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya extended their condolences on social media.

Earlier this year, a C-160 type aircraft from the same base made an emergency landing due to a technical malfunction. That incident resulted in minor damage to the plane but no casualties.