Preliminary causes of Turkish military aircraft crash in Georgia

On November 11, a Turkish Air Force military transport aircraft, which had departed from the Azerbaijani city of Ganja, crashed on Georgian territory. Immediately following the tragedy, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and members of the government expressed condolences to the leadership of the fraternal country and offered full support and assistance.

In Georgia, a criminal case has been opened regarding the incident, and the crash site is under security protection. Turkish officials are conducting an investigation. Despite timely and detailed official explanations, various inaccurate versions have been circulating on social media.

According to Report, the aircraft was at Ganja airport for only about two hours. During this time, there were no recorded attempts of external interference or approaches to the aircraft. On board were technical maintenance specialists for F-16 fighter jets that had participated in a military parade. All personnel had undergone the necessary security procedures.

The plane was transporting mechanical spare parts for F-16s, and there were no explosives on board; therefore, an explosion is ruled out. According to preliminary data, no signs of external impact have been found. Unlike the incident involving the AZAL aircraft, which was shot down over Grozny in December 2024, the fuselage of the Turkish C-130 shows no holes or traces of damage.

According to preliminary versions, the crash may have occurred for one of two reasons. The first is that the aircraft had been in service for a long time, with its last major overhaul carried out in 2020, so structural failure could have occurred due to corrosion. A similar incident involving this type of aircraft was previously recorded in the United States.

The second version involves improper cargo securing. During the flight, the cargo may have shifted, damaging internal structures of the aircraft and compromising its integrity.

The search for the “black boxes” is not expected to be complicated, as the plane fell on flat terrain.

The Turkish presidential administration stated that the causes of the crash are being investigated with particular thoroughness. The investigation is being conducted jointly by Türkiye and Georgia, while Azerbaijan has provided full support to its fraternal country from the very first moments, once again demonstrating the strong bonds of friendship and unity.