What happened
On the flight from Ganja Airport to Kayseri-Erkilet Airport, the Hercules departed from Runway 12 at 14:19 local time. Approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, while the aircraft was maintaining a cruising altitude of 24,000 feet under favorable weather conditions, the plane suffered a partial structural failure. This led to the aircraft breaking apart mid-air and entering an uncontrolled descent.
The wreckage impacted an unoccupied region situated south of Sighnaghi. Upon impact, the aircraft caught fire, and the debris field was spread across a large area. There were 20 fatalities among the occupants, with no survivors reported.
Findings
Investigations into the incident noted that the aircraft experienced a partial disintegration during the cruise phase of the flight.