Milliyet: Tail section broke off first in Turkish C-130 military plane crash

The tail section of the Turkish Air Force C-130 military transport plane was the first to detach during the crash, which occurred on November 11 while en route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye.

The causes of the tragedy are still being investigated, and no external damage to the fuselage has been observed, the Turkish newspaper Milliyet writes.

Late on November 12, the aircraft’s black box was transported to Türkiye.

A team of experts chaired by Lieutenant General Yaşar Kadıoğlu, Head of Evaluation and Control of the Turkish Air Force, flew to Georgia on an A400 M-Kodja Yusuf aircraft. A criminal case has been opened in Georgia, and the crash site has been cordoned off. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Georgian and Turkish Air Forces. Search and rescue operations are carried out together with the air crash investigation team.

The distribution of the plane’s wreckage on the ground was determined as a priority. The debris will be collected and sent to Kayseri. Examining the area where the wreckage was scattered is crucial for obtaining X-ray images of the crash site. Based on these findings, preliminary versions of the crash will be compiled.

The Turkish Air Force operates 13 C-130E transport planes and six C-130B transport planes. Among the modernised aircraft, there are also used planes purchased from Saudi Arabia. The crashed aircraft was acquired from Saudi Arabia in 2010 and underwent a major overhaul and maintenance in 2020. Its next scheduled maintenance was planned for July of the following year. The possibility of fuselage corrosion is also being considered.

On November 11, 2025, a Turkish C-130 military transport aircraft crashed in Georgia while en route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye.

The aircraft was carrying 20 members of the Turkish Armed Forces, including technical personnel, all of whom lost their lives. The bodies of 19 military personnel have been recovered, while the search for one remaining crew member continues.

The crash took place in mountainous terrain near the town of Signagi. Before departure, the aircraft had remained at Ganja Airport in Azerbaijan for nearly two hours, and no technical problems were recorded during pre-flight checks.

Search and recovery teams from both Türkiye and Georgia were deployed to the area, retrieving debris and initiating a joint investigation.

The cause of the incident has not yet been established, with investigators assessing potential technical malfunctions, weather-related factors, or other possible causes.

By Khagan Isayev