Turkey Grounds C-130 Fleet After Fatal Military Plane Crash Kills 20 in Georgia

Turkey has temporarily grounded its fleet of C-130 military cargo planes following a deadly crash in Georgia that killed all 20 Turkish military personnel on board. The decision, announced Thursday by the Turkish Defense Ministry, comes as investigators work to determine the cause of the accident.

The C-130 aircraft was en route from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Turkey when it went down Tuesday Nov. 11 in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality, near the Azerbaijani border. According to the Defense Ministry, the crash killed all 20 passengers and crew, who were part of a specialized unit responsible for maintaining and repairing Turkish F-16 fighter jets. The team had been in Azerbaijan to support Victory Day celebrations marking the country’s 2020 military victory over Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Fleet Grounded for Safety Inspections

In a statement, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry confirmed that all C-130 operations have been suspended as a precaution while the aircraft undergo detailed technical inspections. Only aircraft that pass these checks will be cleared to resume flying.

“The suspension is a preventive measure to ensure flight safety and operational readiness,” the ministry said. C-130 Hercules aircraft are a key component of Turkey’s military logistics fleet, used extensively for personnel transport, supply missions, and humanitarian operations.

Investigation Underway

An accident investigation team from Turkey has been dispatched to the crash site to work alongside Georgian authorities. The plane’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been recovered and sent to Ankara for analysis.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry said the aircraft, originally purchased from Saudi Arabia in 2012, joined the Turkish Air Force in 2014 after extensive maintenance and modernization. It underwent its latest scheduled maintenance on October 12, just weeks before the crash. Officials confirmed that no ammunition or hazardous materials were aboard the aircraft.

In Georgia, Interior Minister Gela Geladze said all major components of the wreckage have been recovered and are being examined as part of the investigation. “More than 1,000 personnel from Georgia and Turkey participated in the recovery and examination efforts,” Geladze said. Debris from the crash was found scattered across multiple locations near the Sighnaghi region.

National Mourning and International Cooperation

The crash has deeply affected both nations, with Turkish and Georgian officials coordinating closely on recovery and investigation efforts. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed condolences to the families of the victims and praised the soldiers’ service, calling them “heroes who represented our nation abroad.”

The tragedy marks one of the deadliest military aviation accidents involving Turkish personnel in recent years and raises questions about the aging C-130 fleet, which has served in Turkey’s Air Force since the 1960s.

Experts say the temporary grounding is a prudent move, allowing for a comprehensive review of the aircraft’s mechanical systems and maintenance records. Aviation analyst Cem Doğan noted that “even a single incident involving structural or mechanical failure can trigger fleet-wide safety evaluations.”

The investigation’s findings will determine when Turkey’s C-130 operations can resume. For now, the Defense Ministry says safety remains its “top operational priority” as both Turkish and Georgian authorities continue to analyze flight data and debris from the crash site.

The remains of the final victim were recovered Thursday, bringing closure to search efforts but leaving unanswered questions about what caused the decades-old aircraft to go down.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, abcnews.go.com, apnew.com