At the Weekly Press Briefing of the Ministry of National Defence, the initial findings regarding the technical investigation of our C-130E aircraft that crashed on 11 November 2025 were also shared.

In response to questions from members of the press, the following information was provided:

Latest Status of the Ongoing Technical Investigation on the Crashed C-130E Aircraft

The activities of the Technical Investigation Board, conducted under the coordination of the Turkish Air Force, have been continuing uninterruptedly regarding the accident involving the C-130E aircraft with tail number 68-1609 on 11 November 2025. These activities were initially carried out at the crash site in Georgia and are currently ongoing at the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate facilities in Kayseri, where the wreckage was transported.

Detailed examinations are being carried out in a coordinated manner. During this process, joint efforts are being conducted with the relevant expert units of the 1st Air Maintenance Factory Directorate (Eskişehir), the 12th Air Transport Main Base Command, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE), and the Gendarmerie General Command.

Technical reporting activities are ongoing, and the current status of the accident investigation is as follows:

Flight Data Recorder (FDR) Analysis:

Upon examination of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data, it was assessed that all systems and crew communications were normal up until the moment of the accident, with no abnormalities detected, and that the incident occurred suddenly.

The recording ended due to the severance of the FDR’s power and data cables, caused by the separation of the aircraft’s tail cone section from the fuselage. Therefore, no additional data capable of clarifying the accident was found in the recorder.

Technical Examination of Engines and Propeller Systems:

Detailed examinations of the aircraft’s engines and propellers revealed that both systems were functioning properly up until the moment of the accident.

No evidence was found indicating that the aircraft fuselage was damaged due to propeller detachment.

Explosive Substance Analysis:

As a result of the examinations conducted by the Gendarmerie Criminal Department on samples taken from the wreckage, no traces of explosive materials, either internal or external, were detected.

Examination of Structural Damage to Materials:

Further metallurgical examinations and analyses of structural damage and traces on the recovered aircraft parts are being conducted comprehensively.

Fracture surface analyses are currently pending reporting and, at the current stage, it has been assessed that the fractures did not originate from fatigue. However, tensile tests indicate that the materials exhibited brittle fracture behavior.

News in the Media:

Reports in the media regarding a nitrogen cylinder do not reflect the facts. It has been determined that the aircraft actually contained two 19 kg fire extinguishers filled with fire suppression agent (non-flammable/non-explosive Halon gas), which were fixed within the aircraft. These were found intact in the wreckage, with no signs of impact.

Possible Causes:

It is assessed that dinghies located on the upper section of the wings may have dislodged from its housing together with a cylinder filled with non-flammable/non-explosive CO₂ gas.

It is further assessed that this cylinder may have subsequently contacted the left tail-fuselage section of the aircraft and possibly struck the vertical stabilizer. The impact of the cylinder is assessed to have caused structural damage to the fuselage as well as to the vertical and horizontal stabilizers, which may have led to the crash.

Metallurgical and technical analyses regarding these findings are ongoing in laboratories.

It is important that the public does not give credence to provocative statements other than official disclosures.

As previously stated, the final report to be prepared upon completion of all relevant processes will be shared transparently with the public.