A C-130 cargo aircraft, which departed today from Azerbaijan en route to Turkey, crashed between Georgia and Azerbaijan. This information was reported on the official Twitter account of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.
A military transport C-130 aircraft, which departed from Azerbaijan to Turkey, crashed on the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. Search and rescue operations have been initiated in coordination with the authorities of Azerbaijan and Georgia, according to a statement from the ministry. “This information is respectfully communicated to the public,” the post added.
No further details have been released by the Ministry of Defense at this time, but more information is expected to follow. It is currently unknown how many crew members were on board or whether there were any passengers. The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 92 passengers and over 20 tons of cargo.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the aircraft crashed approximately 5 km from the border, in the Signagi municipality. Investigators are treating the incident as a possible violation of aviation safety or operational procedures that resulted in fatalities. Following confirmation of the crash, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“We deeply mourn the tragic news of the loss of military personnel as a result of the crash of a Turkish Air Force transport aircraft,” he said, according to the Azerbaijani state news agency Azertac. “At this sorrowful time, on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, I extend sincere condolences to you, the families and relatives of those who died, and to the brotherly people of Turkey.”
According to Flightradar24, a service that tracks flights in real time, the aircraft departed from Ganja Airport at 14:19 local time.
The Georgian television channel Imedi TV published a report that included a photograph likely taken at the crash site.
Additionally, some media outlets have circulated photos and videos reportedly showing the aircraft in flight just before the crash.
The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, developed by Lockheed Martin in the early 1950s, serves as a primary tactical military transport for the air forces of many countries. In civil aviation, it has also become one of the most widely used medium-lift cargo aircraft. The Hercules remains in active service in 65 countries.
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Source: oc-media
