A C-160 transport aircraft belonging to the Turkish Air Force was forced to make an emergency landing during a routine training exercise in Kayseri, central Turkey, due to a technical malfunction.
The incident occurred as the aircraft was taking off from the Kayseri 12th Air Transport Base Command for a scheduled training session.
While the aircraft sustained minor damage, authorities have confirmed that both the pilot and the crew emerged unscathed from the emergency landing.
“Our aircraft suffered minor damage,” the Turkish Ministry of Defense said in a statement. “The health of our pilots and crew is good.”
Footage shared on social media shows the aircraft flying at low altitude over a road with its landing gears up.
Kayseri 12. Hava Ulaştırma Üs Komutanlığı'ndan eğitim için kalkan C-160 uçağı teknik arıza nedeniyle acil iniş yaptı.pic.twitter.com/vM0Faxda99
— BPT (@bpthaber) January 25, 2024
Developed by the French-German consortium Transport Allianz, the Transall is a twin-engine aircraft that can transport approximately 16 tons of freight, 91 passengers, 60 equipped paratroopers, or 62 wounded on stretchers in medivac configuration.
Since France and Germany retired the aircraft, respectively in 2021 and 2022, the Turkish Air Force is the last remaining operator of two C-160D Transall aircraft, flown by the 221st Squadron “Breeze”. The crashed aircraft was identified as tail number 69-036, which was used as an electronic reconnaissance platform.
Και επίσημα τίτλοι τέλους για τα μεταγωγικά Α/Φ C-160 της Τουρκικής Αεροπορίας καθώς το τελευταίο (s/n 69-036) συνετρίβη σήμερα στην Καισάρεια. Είχε εκσυγχρονιστεί υπό το πρόγραμμα Gören-1 με εξοπλισμό συλλογής πληροφοριών. pic.twitter.com/j7xHJ6Nuwx
— e-Αmyna (@e_amyna) January 25, 2024