A Turkish Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crashed in eastern Georgia on 11 November, killing all 20 personnel on board after the aircraft broke up mid-flight, according to Turkish and Georgian officials.
The aircraft, operating as Turkish Air Force Flight 543, was flying from Ganja International Airport in Azerbaijan to Merzifon Air Base in Turkey when it disappeared from radar near the Georgian town of Rustavi, around 27 minutes after crossing into Georgian airspace.
Authorities said there was no distress signal before the aircraft broke apart and crashed near Sighnaghi in the Kakheti region.
The four-engine C-130EM Hercules, tail number 68-1609, was built in 1968 and entered Turkish Air Force service in 2010 after previously serving with the Royal Saudi Air Force. It was one of several older Hercules aircraft modernised to extend their operational life.
The Turkish Ministry of National Defence confirmed that all 20 occupants were members of the Turkish Armed Forces. Initial reports suggesting Azerbaijani personnel were aboard were later denied by Ankara.
Flight tracking data indicates that the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 7,300 metres (24,000 feet) and was flying at around 300 knots before contact was lost. Video footage circulating online appeared to show debris falling from the sky and a fireball on impact, though the cause of the mid-air break-up remains under investigation.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has opened an inquiry under aviation safety regulations, confirming that a 46-member Turkish investigation team has arrived to examine the wreckage. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said the aircraft’s flight recorders have been recovered, and Lockheed Martin, the American manufacturer of the Hercules, has offered technical assistance.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed condolences to the families of what he called “our martyrs”, describing the crash as a “tragic loss for the nation”. Nineteen bodies have been recovered so far, with search efforts continuing for the remaining casualty.
