The Turkish accident investigation team has returned to Türkiye after completing inspections at the crash site of a C-130 military cargo plane on the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, where 20 Turkish soldiers were killed, the Defense Ministry announced on November 24.
Technical examinations at the site, following the Nov. 11 crash, have concluded, the ministry said in a written statement, News.Az reports citing Turkish media.
“The transfer of wreckage parts to our Second Main Maintenance Factory Directorate [in the central province of Kayseri] is ongoing,” the statement added.
Detailed technical inspections will continue once the wreckage reaches the Kayseri facility.
Türkiye’s Defense Minister Yaşar Güler told reporters last week that the investigation of the C-130’s black box will take “at least two months.”
“The process of decoding the boxes and obtaining the initial findings will take at least two months,” Güler said after the presidential Cabinet meeting.
“According to preliminary findings, although not certain, the tail section broke off first, and then the aircraft split into three parts. These details will be clarified by the black box,” the minister added.
The black box is currently being examined by the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TUSAŞ).
As a precaution, the Turkish Armed Forces have temporarily grounded their remaining 18 C-130 military planes pending technical inspections.
Türkiye immediately dispatched an accident investigation team to determine the cause of the crash. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder are being examined in Ankara, the Defense Ministry said previously. The ministry also confirmed that no ammunition was on board at the time of the crash.
A solemn funeral was held on Nov. 14 for the 20 soldiers who lost their lives.
The plane had been en route from the Azerbaijani city of Ganja to Türkiye. Manufactured by U.S. company Lockheed Martin, the C-130 Hercules entered service in 1968, initially with Saudi Arabia, and was added to the Turkish Armed Forces’ inventory in 2010.