Turkey temporarily suspends C-130 flights after accident

Turkey has temporarily suspended flights of C-130 military transport aircraft as a precautionary measure, the Defense Ministry announced on Thursday, following an accident in Georgia that killed all 20 soldiers on board.

The plane was flying from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Turkey when it crashed in the Sighnaghi municipality of Georgia, near the border with Azerbaijan, on Tuesday. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The military personnel were part of a unit responsible for the maintenance and repair of Turkish F-16 jets that had traveled to Azerbaijan to participate in Victory Day celebrations. The event marked Azerbaijan's military success in 2020 over Armenia for control of the Karabakh region, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh, a conflict that has lasted nearly four decades.

The Ministry of Defense said that C-130 flights have been temporarily suspended to allow the aircraft to undergo detailed technical inspections. Only those that successfully pass the checks will be allowed to resume flying, reports abcnews.

C-130 aircraft are widely used by the Turkish Armed Forces for personnel transport and logistical operations.

Turkey has sent a team of investigators to determine the cause of the crash. The ministry said the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been sent to Ankara for examination.

The aircraft was purchased from Saudi Arabia in 2012 and added to the Turkish Air Force's inventory in 2014 after maintenance procedures. It was later modernized and has been in service since 2022. The last scheduled maintenance was carried out on October 12, the ministry said.

There were no ammunition on the plane when it crashed. The wreckage of the plane was scattered in several places, and the remains of the 20th victim were found on Thursday.

In Georgia, Interior Minister Gela Geladze said all major components of the plane have been recovered and are being examined as part of the investigation.

Over 1,000 people from Georgia and Turkey participated in the rescue and investigation operations. The burial will be held after the remains are returned to Turkey and autopsies are conducted.Indeksonline/