A Turkish Air Force Lockheed C-130E Hercules cargo plane crashed close to the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. The incident occurred shortly after the aircraft departed from Ganja Airport in Azerbaijan.
On November 11, 2025, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense confirmed the crash of a C-130 military cargo plane flying from Azerbaijan to Turkey. The ministry stated:
“A C-130 military cargo plane departing from Azerbaijan to Turkey crashed on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border.
Search and rescue operations were promptly launched in cooperation with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities.
Georgian officials reported that the aircraft vanished from radar just minutes after entering Georgian airspace. Importantly, no distress signal was received before the disappearance.
“The C-130 disappeared from radar a few minutes after entering Georgian airspace, without issuing any distress signal.”
The ministry later confirmed that 20 people were on board the aircraft. Video footage circulating on social media shows the plane breaking apart in mid-air, with the fuselage disintegrating and fragments falling separately. The wingbox rotated toward the ground and exploded on impact, while the tail section appears to be missing.
Rescue and investigation efforts are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.
This tragic accident highlights the risks military cargo flights can face during routine operations, with all 20 onboard lost following a sudden in-air breakup near the Georgian border.