Detached Wings From Doomed Turkish C-130 Seen Spiraling Into The Ground
A Turkish Air Force C-130E Hercules cargo plane crashed dramatically in Georgia while returning to Turkey from Azerbaijan. The aircraft was carrying 20 people onboard.
Flight Details
The C-130E took off from Ganja International Airport in Azerbaijan about 30 minutes before the crash. Its callsign was TUAF543.
“After departure, it turned and positioned itself on a northeasterly track, passing the Mingechevir Reservoir beneath. While passing 15,000 feet, it again turned onto a northwesterly heading before turning west, passing the Georgian border around 10:37 UTC. It was in a continuous ascent until reaching its cruising altitude of 24,000 feet at 10:41 UTC.”
The plane went down sometime after 2:49 PM local time (10:49 PM UTC), according to Flightradar24 data.
Crash Observations
Videos showing the crash reveal the aircraft breaking apart midair. The center fuselage with the wings still attached can be seen spiraling straight down. Other large pieces of the plane are also falling toward the ground.
Summary
The incident marks a tragic loss for the Turkish Air Force as their C-130E cargo plane crashed in Georgia, breaking apart in flight and crashing while carrying 20 people.
Author's summary: A Turkish C-130E cargo plane tragically broke apart midair and crashed in Georgia while flying from Azerbaijan to Turkey with 20 onboard.