A flight‑training aircraft belonging to a local aviation school left the paved runway at Hezarfen Airport in Çatalca, Istanbul, at approximately 09:30 a.m. on 8 November 2026 and entered the adjacent grass area. The incident was reported to emergency services, which dispatched health, gendarmerie and fire‑fighter units to the scene.

According to the initial report released by CNN Türk, which cited the news agency DHA, the pilot of the aircraft was a 22‑year‑old trainee named Arda Boğaç Bakkal. Bakkal managed to bring the aircraft to a stop without further damage and, although he emerged from the cockpit without visible injuries, he was transferred to a nearby hospital for precautionary medical evaluation.

Eyewitnesses described the aircraft’s departure from the runway as a sudden loss of control that caused the plane to veer off onto the unpaved strip. The runway at Hezarfen, a relatively new facility serving general aviation and flight‑training operations, has not previously been linked to similar overruns.

Emergency responders arrived within minutes. Medical personnel performed a preliminary assessment, found no wounds, and opted for a precautionary admission to monitor for any delayed symptoms. Gendarmerie and fire‑fighter teams secured the area, inspected the aircraft for mechanical failures and coordinated the removal of the plane from the grass to a designated maintenance zone for further examination.

Hezarfen Airport’s management released a brief statement confirming that the incident is under investigation by the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The statement emphasized that the airport’s safety protocols were activated promptly and that the facility remains fully operational for other flights.

No other aircraft were on the runway at the time, and there were no reports of damage to airport infrastructure. The DGCA has not yet published a preliminary cause analysis, but officials indicated that factors such as pilot handling, aircraft condition, runway surface friction, and possible wind conditions will be examined.

The incident underscores the inherent risks associated with pilot training, especially at busy general‑aviation airports on the outskirts of major cities. Aviation experts note that while overruns are relatively rare in training environments, they can occur due to a combination of human and technical factors. They recommend rigorous pre‑flight checks, continuous supervision by certified instructors, and regular runway maintenance to mitigate such risks.

The trainee, Arda Boğaç Bakkal, is expected to be released from the hospital after observation. His flight school has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation and to review its training procedures to prevent future occurrences.

The incident was first reported by CNN Türk at 14:35 local time, with the latest update confirming that the aircraft has been removed from the incident site and that a formal investigative report is pending.

Sources (learn more):

cnnturk.com — https://www.cnnturk.com/turkiye/hezarfen-havalimaninda-egitim-ucagi-pistten-cikti-3490558