Detached Wings From Doomed Turkish C-130 Seen Spiraling Into The Ground
The Turkish Air Force C-130E Hercules cargo plane crashed dramatically in Georgia while returning from Azerbaijan. The aircraft was carrying 20 people on board.
Flight Details
The C-130E, with callsign TUAF543, took off from Ganja International Airport in Azerbaijan about 30 minutes before the crash. It went down shortly after 2:49 PM local time (10:49 PM UTC).
According to Flightradar24, the flight path included several direction changes:
- After departure, the plane turned northeast, passing over the Mingechevir Reservoir.
- At 15,000 feet, it changed course to the northwest, then west, crossing the Georgian border around 10:37 UTC.
- It continued ascending until it reached a cruising altitude of 24,000 feet at 10:41 UTC.
Crash Observation
Videos circulating online show the aircraft breaking apart midair. The center fuselage with wings attached is seen spiraling toward the ground, along with other large sections falling separately.
“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.” — Flightradar24
“It was in a continuous ascent until reaching its cruising altitude of 24,000 feet at 10:41 UTC.” — Flightradar24
The footage highlights the tragic midair breakup of the aircraft before it crashed in Georgia.
Summary: The Turkish C-130E cargo plane tragically disintegrated midair over Georgia while returning from Azerbaijan, with the fuselage and wings falling separately to the ground.