On July 15, 2020, a Beechcraft 350 Super King Air (registration EM-809) operated by Turkish Police - Türk Polis was involved in an aviation accident near Mt Artos, Turkey in flight. 7 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A twin-engine aircraft crashed into the slope of Mt Artos during its approach to Van-Ferit Melen Airport, resulting in no survivors.
What happened
A twin-engine aircraft departed from Van-Ferit Melen Airport at 18:34 local time, performing a reconnaissance and survey mission across the Van and Hakkari provinces. The flight was operated with a total of seven people on board, consisting of two pilots and five passengers.
At 22:32 local time, the flight crew contacted Air Traffic Control to report their position directly above Başkale while preparing for an approach to Van-Ferly Melen Airport. Approximately thirteen minutes following this communication, the aircraft type impacted the side of Mt Artos. The crash site was situated roughly 30 km southwest of the threshold for runway 03. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the plane and seven fatalities.
Findings
The aircraft struck a mountain slope during the approach phase of flight.
