Turkish Military Plane Crash, Nation’s Deadliest in Years, Seen on Video

A Turkish military cargo plane crashed Tuesday, reportedly marking the country’s deadliest military incident since 2020.

According to The Independent, the crash killed all 20 personnel on board.

The aircraft — a C-130 Hercules — was recorded caught in a tailspin, spewing a trail of smoke as it plummeted to the earth in footage shared by local outlet Turkey Tribune.

Ambulances, fire trucks and military vehicles rushed to the crash site in the bordering country of Georgia. The plane had reportedly been travelling from Azerbaijan to Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan gave his condolences to “our martyrs,” BBC News reports. Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhidze extended his condolences for the “soldiers who died a martyr’s death” in the crash, according to a statement from the Turkish president’s office on X.

Initial evidence suggests the incident was an accident, Reuters reports. Analysts reportedly suggested Turkey’s fleet of C-130s is old and in need of renewal. The plane reportedly appeared to break apart mid-flight.

Retired U.S. Air Force C-130 specialist Jarrod Phillips told Reuters … “The footage appears to show the tail section separating in-flight and fuel streaming from the wingtip valves, suggesting the crew may have been dumping fuel for an emergency landing.”