A Turkish Air Force Lockheed C-130E Hercules (serial 68-01609) was lost today near the Georgia–Azerbaijan border while operating a military transport flight from Ganja International Airport (UBBG) to Turkey.
Preliminary information from regional authorities indicates the aircraft with callsign TUAF543 disappeared from radar shortly after entering Georgian airspace and subsequently broke up in mid-air over the Sighnaghi region. The Turkish Ministry of Defence confirmed 20 personnel were on board at the time of the accident.
Joint Turkish, Georgian, and Azerbaijani rescue units have been deployed to the remote, mountainous crash area. No official casualty figures have yet been released.
The cause of the accident remains undetermined. The C-130E variant has served in the Turkish Air Force fleet for several decades, primarily in tactical and humanitarian airlift roles.
