The Turkish military cargo plane crash of the 11.11.25: does the specific cork-screw spinning pattern of the vertical fall, suggest the possible causes?
Yes, the “cork-screw spinning pattern,” technically known as an aircraft spin, is a critical aerodynamic indicator suggesting a loss of control that likely points to an aggravated stall as the primary cause. [1, 2]
Aerodynamic Significance of a Spin A spin is a specific type of stall that results in autorotation (uncommanded rolling) and a steep, corkscrew-like, downward path. Key aerodynamic conditions associated with this pattern include:• Stall condition: Both wings are in a stalled state, meaning the angle of attack has increased beyond the critical angle, leading to a loss of lift.
• Unbalanced lift and drag: One wing is in a deeper stall than the other, creating unbalanced aerodynamic forces. The wing with greater drag drops, causing the aircraft to yaw (rotate) towards it, which sustains the autorotation.
• High rate of descent: The aircraft falls rapidly, rotating around a vertical axis. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]Possible Causes Indicated by the Spin The fact that the aircraft entered a spin suggests several possible scenarios that the ongoing investigation will examine:
• Aerodynamic failure/structural failure: Initial reports and videos suggest the tail section might have separated in flight. A major in-flight structural failure (such as the loss of a control surface or part of the fuselage) can immediately lead to an unrecoverable loss of control and an aggravated stall/spin.
• Cargo shift: One preliminary version being investigated is that the cargo, which consisted of F-16 spare parts (not explosives), was not properly secured and shifted in flight, damaging the internal structure or compromising stability and control.
• Pilot disorientation/error: While less likely for a multi-crew military plane in good weather, spatial disorientation, especially in turbulent conditions or during an emergency, can lead to a pilot failing to execute proper stall recovery procedures, resulting in a spin.
• System malfunction: A failure in the hydraulic system or flight control systems could prevent the pilots from correcting the aircraft’s attitude, leading to the uncontrolled spin.
• Maintenance issues: The C-130 involved was reportedly 57 years old. Long-term corrosion or inadequate maintenance (e.g., improper repairs on a corroded part) could lead to component failure during flight, as has happened in other C-130 accidents. [1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]The aircraft’s black box has been recovered, and the data will be crucial in determining the exact sequence of events that led to the spin and subsequent crash. [8, 9, 14, 15]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] skybrary.aero/articles/spin
[2] youtube.com/watch?v=4LX2amQ7…
[3] cfi.treklog.com/CFI_PTS_ASEL…
[4] youtube.com/watch?v=xOeSQaAg…
[5] youtube.com/watch?v=-Fz_N9iJ…
[6] yahoo.com/news/articles/turk…
[7] report.az/en/domestic-politi…
[8] reuters.com/world/europe/tur…
[9] uk.news.yahoo.com/turkey-pro…
[10] dw.com/en/lithuania-suspects…
[11] yahoo.com/news/articles/20-p…
[12] youtube.com/watch?v=yYWThUkk…
[13] reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfi…
[14] reuters.com/world/europe/tur…
[15] theblackbox.co.ke/the-blackb…– Google Search google.com/search?q=The+Turk…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 13, 2025

