DefenseTurkish Air Force C-130E crashes in Georgia after departure from Azerbaijan
A Turkish Air Force C-130E Hercules crashed in Georgia shortly after departing from Ganja International Airport, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday near the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed the loss of the aircraft, which was operating as TUAF543 and registered as 68-01609, according to FlightRadar24. According to Turkish authorities, there were at least 20 people on board the aircraft.
Video footage circulating on social media shows wreckage of the aircraft in a mountainous area. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, involving teams from Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
The aircraft departed Ganja at 10:19 UTC on a military mission. The region is strategically significant, with military and logistical operations frequently transiting through these air corridors.
https://twitter.com/airmainengineer/status/1988228756968734758
“We received the news of the plane crash and we are saddened. May God rest the souls of our martyrs, and may we keep them in our prayers,” said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The C-130E Hercules has been a mainstay of Turkish airlift capabilities for decades. The country’s air force had 18 aircraft in service before the crash. Turkey also just bought 12 old C-130J that flew for the Royal Air Force (RAF).
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