ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Monday it would take at least two months to reach initial findings and analyse the black box of a Turkish cargo plane that crashed in Georgia last week and left 20 soldiers dead.
The C-130 cargo aircraft had left Azerbaijan for Turkey and crashed in Georgia, marking the NATO member’s highest military death toll since 2020. Ankara has said it was investigating the cause of the crash.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Guler said the black box of the aircraft was being inspected by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), adding that despite the crash, the C-130 planes – which Turkey has been operating since 1957 – were “generally safe”.
“According to preliminary findings, although not definitive, the tail breaks off first. It then splits into three. This will be found in the (inspection of the) black box,” he said, and added that, apart from an engine fire in 1999 after which the aircraft had landed safely, there had been no issues with the C-130s.
Turkey’s defence ministry said last week the aircraft was carrying a 10-person maintenance team for Turkish F-16s that had earlier taken part in Victory Day celebrations in Azerbaijan, as well as the flight crew and maintenance equipment.
Turkey’s defence ministry announced last month an agreement with Britain to procure 12 C-130 aircraft that need to undergo modernisation and maintenance.
It also said last week that the crashed plane was bought from Saudi Arabia in 2012, started flights in 2022, and completed its last maintenance a month ago, adding all planned flights by Turkey’s 18 C-130s were suspended pending inspection.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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