What happened
At 00:36 local time, an aircraft departed from runway 05 at Adana Airport. The mission was a positioning flight intended to transport Turkish pilgrims to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Approximately nine minutes after the departure, while the aircraft was climbing to an altitude of 4,000 metres, it encountered adverse weather conditions.
During this climb, the aircraft experienced a sudden nose-down movement and entered a steep dive. The plane struck an open field located roughly 30 km east of Adana Airport near Ceyhan in a nearly vertical orientation. The impact was so forceful that the aircraft type disintegrated upon hitting the ground, creating a crater approximately 10 metres deep. There were no survivors of the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified several contributing factors related to flight preparation and crew performance. It was determined that severe weather played a role in the accident. Additionally, the failure to activate the Pitot static anti-ice system due to an incomplete pre-takeoff checklist was a significant factor.
Further findings indicated that the crew did not identify the source of erratic airspeed readings and failed to utilize alternative cockpit instruments to maintain control or recover the aircraft. The investigation also noted that the presence of cabin crew within the cockpit likely served as a distraction to the flight crew during the critical phase of flight.