A Turkish Air Force C-130 Hercules crashed in Georgia near the Azerbaijan border. The aircraft, operating as flight TUAF543, had departed from Ganja Airport in Azerbaijan and was en route to Turkey when it went down.
The Turkish military plane crashed on November 11, according to reports from multiple sources. The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident, which killed all crew and personnel aboard the military transport aircraft.
Defence Minister Yasar Gule confirmed that all 20 military personnel on board were killed in the crash.
According to flight tracking data, the C-130 reached an altitude of 24,000 feet before experiencing a rapid descent. Sources indicate the aircraft descended at approximately 19,000 feet per minute during its final moments. The plane crossed into Georgian airspace before contact was lost.
The aircraft involved was a Lockheed C-130E Hercules with registration number 68-1609. According to sources, the plane was 57 years old, having been delivered in 1968. The military transport plane had been in service with the Turkish Air Force since 2010.
Investigators have retrieved the black box from the crash site for examination. President Recep Erdogan announced the recovery of the flight recorder, which will be analyzed as part of the investigation into what caused the aircraft to go down.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the crash. Turkish authorities are working to establish what led to the aircraft’s sudden descent and subsequent crash in Georgian territory near the border with Azerbaijan.
The C-130 Hercules is a military transport aircraft commonly used for cargo operations. The Turkish Air Force operates several of these aircraft for military transport missions throughout the region.
Flight TUAF543 had departed Ganja Airport and was on a routine military transport mission back to Turkey. The aircraft crossed from Azerbaijani airspace into Georgia during its flight path before the crash occurred.
The location of the crash, near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, placed the incident in Georgian territory. Both Turkish and Georgian authorities have been involved in the response to the crash and the subsequent investigation.
All personnel aboard the military transport were members of the Turkish armed forces. The 20 individuals killed included both the flight crew operating the aircraft and military personnel being transported on the mission.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense has been coordinating the official response to the incident. The ministry confirmed the crash shortly after it occurred and has been providing updates on the investigation as information becomes available.
According to sources, the aircraft had been flying regularly in recent operations. The C-130 had completed a flight earlier on the same day, traveling from Kayseri to Ganja before making its final departure from Azerbaijan.
The investigation will focus on determining what caused the rapid descent that led to the crash. Investigators will examine the recovered black box data along with other evidence from the crash site to establish the sequence of events.
The age of the aircraft, at 57 years old, will likely be one factor examined during the investigation. However, authorities have not indicated any preliminary findings about what may have caused the crash.
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft maintained normal flight patterns during its climb to cruising altitude. The plane reached 24,000 feet before the rapid descent began, according to sources monitoring the flight’s progress.
The crash represents a significant loss for the Turkish military.
