A TAI Hürkuş turboprop trainer crashed during a test flight. Both pilots ejected safely.
According to Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the Hurkus aircraft crashed during a test flight in Ankara’s Beypazari district at around 12.30 p.m. local time (0930GMT).
According to a TAI statement, the two pilots onboard the aircraft were able to successfully eject before the crash and are in good condition. They are currently admitted to a hospital for evaluation.
The statement added that an investigation was ordered on the incident, and the cause of the accident will be determined after the investigation.
The TAI Hürkuş (“Free Bird”) is a tandem two-seat, low-wing, single-engine, turboprop aircraft being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) – Türk Havacılık ve Uzay Sanayii A.Ş. (TUSAS) – as a new basic trainer and ground attack aircraft for the Turkish Armed Forces.
The aircraft is named after Vecihi Hürkuş, a World War I and Turkish Independence War veteran pilot, a Turkish aviation pioneer and the first Turkish airplane manufacturer.
Based in Ankara, TAI serves the aerospace and defense industries by manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, and satellites, and their components.
TAI was established in 1973 under the auspices of the Industry and Technology Ministry in order to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign sources for its defense needs.
