ISTANBUL, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight in the northwestern province of Yalova on Wednesday, with the pilot surviving the incident, the country's defense ministry said.
In a statement posted on social media, the ministry announced that the aircraft went down during a routine training mission and the pilot safely bailed out before the crash.
The exact cause of the accident will be determined following a detailed investigation, the ministry said.
A large number of ambulances and medical rescue teams were dispatched to the crash site following the incident, local media reported.
Live footage broadcast by Turkish news channel NTV showed a fireball and thick black smoke rising from the wreckage, visible from several locations across the province. ■