Military plane crashes in Georgia killing all passengers on board

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All 20 people on board a military cargo plane have died after the aircraft crashed in Georgia’s border region.

Turkey has confirmed that 20 of its soldiers died after the C-130 Hercules plane plunged suddenly in eastern Georgia near the border with Azerbaijan.

The Turkish defence ministry said an investigation has been launched over what caused the American-made cargo plane to crash on Tuesday.

It is NATO member Turkey’s deadliest military incident since 2020.

Debris from the C-130 Hercules cargo plane was strewn around the crash site in eastern Georgia (Picture: AP)

Footage taken just moments before the crash appears to show the aircraft spiralling down with a trail of white smoke in its wake.

The plane then went up in flames after hitting the ground in the Sighnaghi municipality, and it is thought there were no survivors.

Moments after taking off from the city of Ganja in Azerbaijan, the aircraft disappeared from radar, Georgia’s air traffic control service Sakaeronavigatsia said, according to Al Jazeera.

Smoke rose from the wreckage at the crash site, which happened on Tuesday (Picture: Reuters)

A flight tracker map shows the route of the Turkish military C-130 Hercules plane leaving Ganja, Azerbaijan, and crossing the border to Georgia before it disappeared from radar (Picture: FlightRadar)

Pilots sent no distress signal before the crash.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, commented on the disaster during a speech yesterday, saying he was ‘deeply saddened’ by it.

Erdogan said: ‘God willing, we will overcome this crash with minimum hardships. May God rest the souls of our martyrs, and let us be with them through our prayers.’

What was left of the military aircraft (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

The reason for the crash has not been confirmed yet, but Turkish and Georgian officials are cooperating on the investigation.

Turkey’s defence minister, Yasar Guler, said: ‘Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on November 11, 2025, when our C-130 military cargo plane, which had taken off from Azerbaijan en route to our country, crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border.’

Condolences have poured in from the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, and the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack.

Georgian and Turkish officials are investigating the crash, which is Turkey’s worst military incident in five years (Picture: Reuters)

The Hercules C-130, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a popular choice of aircraft for militaries around the world.

The model is designed for transporting troops, cargo and equipment, and it has four engines, allowing it to make landings and takeoffs in challenging conditions.

Deeply saddened by today’s tragic crash of a Turkish Armed Forces aircraft. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen, the Turkish Armed Forces, and the people of Türkiye. The United States stands in solidarity with our Turkish allies. 🇺🇸🇹🇷

— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) November 11, 2025

The US firm expressed condolences over the crash and said it will help Turkey during the investigation, Reuters reports.

A piece of fuselage and debris was scattered in the surrounding area (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey uses Hercules aircraft widely to support its military and logistics operations.

The aircraft is believed to have been a 57-year-old C-130, which was used by the Royal Saudi Air Force, according to Flightradar24.

Azerbaijan and Turkey have close ties, and they have been cooperating particularly closely since the dispute between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the breakaway factions fighting for the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

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