Türkiye's Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said on Monday that an investigation process on the black box of a C-130 military cargo plane, which crashed on the Azerbaijan–Georgia border and claimed 20 Turkish soldiers' lives, will take "at least two months."
“The process of decoding the boxes and obtaining the initial findings will take at least two months," Güler told reporters, following the presidential Cabinet meeting.
'According to preliminary findings, although not certain, the tail section breaks off first. Then it splits into three parts. These will be clarified by the black box,' the minister explained.
He said the black box is currently being examined by the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TUSAŞ).
The military has temporarily grounded its 18 remaining C-130 military planes as a precaution pending technical inspections. The cargo planes are widely used by Türkiye's armed forces for transporting personnel and handling logistical operations.
Türkiye immediately dispatched an accident investigation team to determine the cause of the crash. The plane’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice data recorder were under examination in Ankara, the Defense Ministry said previously.
There was no ammunition on board the aircraft when it crashed, it added.
Türkiye held a solemn funeral on Nov. 14 for the 20 soldiers killed in the crash.
The plane had been en route from the Azerbaijani city of Ganja to Türkiye.
