[2][3] The jet's pilots were killed; both Turkish and Syrian forces searched for them before recovering their bodies in early July.

[5] The aircraft, piloted by Flight lieutenant Gökhan Ertan and Flying officer Hasan Hüseyin Aksoy,[6] took off on 22 June 2012 with the task to help test the Turkish radar system.

According to radar records, the aircraft was flying between Cyprus and Hatay over the Mediterranean Sea at about FL210, an altitude of 21,000 feet, at 11:06 hours local time (08:06 UTC).

At 11:50, the pilots asked the Turkish radar base for assistance on route information, so that they would not violate Syrian airspace again.

[10] United States research vessel EV Nautilus arrived three days later at the crash site to join the search and rescue operations.

Her two remotely operated vehicles Hercules and Argus conducted search at the seabed in 1,280 m (4,200 ft) depth and located the debris of the aircraft, and brought parts of the downed jet up to the surface.