Turkish Aerospace Industries has resumed final assembly work on KT-1 turboprop trainers after investigating the accidental ejection of a civilian flight-test engineer during a test sortie.
Details have only just emerged of the incident, which happened on 9 February during a flight conducted from TAI's facilities at Akinci air base near Ankara. As the company test pilot of aircraft "08" rolled the trainer inverted there was an uncommanded ejection involving the rear seat passenger.
 |
|---|
©Turkish Aerospace Industries |
The engineer landed without injury using a Martin-Baker Mk16LF ejection seat. The aircraft's pilot returned safely to Akinci.
TAI is building the Korea Aerospace Industries KT-1 under licence for the Turkish air force. The company says its assembly line has resumed activities after an investigation found no faults with other aircraft.
Turkey's first five of 36 KT-1s were completed in South Korea, with the rest being assembled by TAI. The company is working on the ninth trainer. Deliveries are planned to finish next year.
Source: Flight International
