Turkish C-130 Crash Kills 20
Authorities launched a search-and-recovery operation after a Turkish Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crashed, killing all 20 people onboard. The incident occurred on November 11, involving Turkish, Georgian, and Azerbaijani forces.
Flight Details
The C-130E was flying from Ganja International Airport in Azerbaijan back to Turkey when it reportedly disintegrated midair and crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. Online footage captured wreckage, including the wing and fuselage, falling from the sky.
Aircraft Background
The 57-year-old Hercules, serial number 68 1609, was originally built in 1968 for the Royal Saudi Air Force and entered Turkish service in March 2010, according to C-130.net. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the last signal at 10:49 a.m. UTC, when the aircraft was at a cruising altitude of 24,000 ft.
Official Response
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that recovery efforts were underway with the relevant authorities.
Fleet Information
The Turkish Air Force operates 11 C-130Es and six older C-130Bs. The service plans to replace most of these with second-hand C-130Js acquired from the UK.
Authorities have initiated a search-and-recovery operation after a Turkish Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crashed, killing all 20 onboard.
The C-130E was operating a flight from Ganja International Airport, Azerbaijan, back to Turkey when it apparently disintegrated in midair and crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that efforts to recover the wreckage were in progress with the relevant authorities.
Author’s summary: A Turkish C-130 Hercules crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, killing all 20 onboard, prompting a multinational recovery effort and raising questions about the aging fleet.