Kackar Mountains Aircraft Crash (2025)

The Kaçkar Mountains Aircraft Crash was a civil aviation accident that occurred on the summit of the Kaçkar Mountains within the borders of Rize Province, Türkiye, on 2 July 2025. The pilot, Mehmet Demirci, lost his life in the crash, while Hicran Kaya, the passenger on board, was rescued injured. The accident took place during the first leg of the Turkish pilot’s global flight.

Wreckage of the aircraft that crashed on the summit of the Kaçkar Mountains, 3 July 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)

Purpose and Planned Route of the Flight

Mehmet Demirci, who lost his life in the crash, was a 57-year-old retired electrical engineer and amateur pilot. On 2 July 2025, Demirci commenced his global flight from Çorlu Atatürk Airport in a M20J-type civil aircraft. The planned flight route covered a total distance of 28,000 kilometers, with the goal of completing the journey in 160 hours of flight time, passing through 32 airports in 12 countries within 40 days.

Demirci designated the Sivrihisar Aviation Center Necati Artan Facilities in the Sivrihisar district of Eskişehir as the first stop of his global journey. He landed there on 2 July 2025, where he was greeted by Semin Öztürk Şener, Türkiye’s only female civilian aerobatic pilot, aerobatic pilot Ali İsmet Öztürk, and Kamuran Keskin, President of the Sivrihisar Aviation Club Association. At the gathering held in Eskişehir, it was announced that the flight was organized to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK) and to promote world peace.

Demirci’s next destination after Sivrihisar was Rize-Artvin Airport. After Rize, the route planned to proceed to Aktau in Kazakhstan, then依次 to Russia, Mongolia, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and across the Bering Strait to Alaska. The aim was for the first Turkish-registered aircraft to land at the aviation event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States, scheduled for 21–27 July 2025, which was expected to attract 15,000 to 16,000 aircraft from around the world. The subsequent stage of the journey was to traverse North America, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and the Netherlands before returning to the starting point, Çorlu Atatürk Airport.

Wreckage of the aircraft that crashed on the summit of the Kaçkar Mountains, 3 July 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)

Course of the Accident and Search and Rescue Operations

The accident occurred at 18:18 on 2 July 2025 between Erzurum and Rize. The emergency alert was received by the 112 Emergency Call Center around 18:00 on the same day. A crisis center was established at the guesthouse of Çifteköprü Village Mosque in the İkizdere district. Search and rescue operations involved Jandarma Search and Rescue (JAK) teams, İkizdere Search and Rescue (İDAK) units, AFAD, UMKE, 112 Emergency Medical Services, the General Directorate of Security, civil society organizations, and units under the Ministry of National Defense. A total of 14 vehicles, 4 drones, 57 AFAD personnel, 110 gendarme personnel, 2 rescue helicopters, 2 reconnaissance aircraft, 1 unmanned aerial vehicle, search dogs, and various equipment were deployed to the site.

Search and rescue operations were conducted under heavy fog, rain, and snowfall. JAK and İDAK teams dispatched to the area around midnight began ground operations around 03:00. Communication with teams was intermittently lost due to heavy rainfall and mountainous terrain. The wreckage was reached at 06:24 on 3 July 2025. It was confirmed that the crash site was located on the summit ridge of the Kaçkar Mountains. Initial examination of the wreckage revealed that pilot Mehmet Demirci had died and passenger Hicran Kaya had been rescued alive but injured.

The injured passenger, Hicran Kaya, was transported by military helicopter to the Erzurum Provincial Air Ambulance Center and subsequently transferred to Erzurum City Hospital for treatment. Erzurum Gendarmerie Commander Brigadier General Engin Avcı monitored the rescue operation on-site. Demirci’s body was also transported by military helicopter to Erzurum and sent to the Erzurum Forensic Medicine Institution for autopsy.

Wreckage of the aircraft that crashed on the summit of the Kaçkar Mountains, 3 July 2025 – (Anadolu Agency)

Official Statements and Notifications by Authorities

Rize Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş made the first official statement regarding the accident in front of the crisis center established in İkizdere district. Governor Baydaş stated that search and rescue operations began immediately after the emergency alert was received at approximately 18:00 on 2 July 2025 and continued throughout the night. He confirmed that teams reached the wreckage on the summit of the Kaçkar Mountains at 06:24, that the pilot had died, and that the female passenger had been rescued alive. It was reported that search and rescue teams continued their efforts under heavy rainfall and localized snowfall on the summit.

Baydaş noted that due to dense fog in the region, it was not possible for helicopters to land directly at the wreckage site, and therefore both the injured person and rescue teams had to be transported by helicopter to a suitable location accessible by air. Access to the wreckage area was completed after approximately 12 hours.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), in its post-accident statement, confirmed that information about the civil aircraft, which had departed from Sivrihisar in Eskişehir and was en route to Rize, crashing between Erzurum and Rize, was received at 18:18 on 2 July 2025. AFAD teams were dispatched from Bayburt, Rize, Erzurum, Artvin, and Erzincan provinces to the incident site.

The Ministry of National Defense deployed two rescue helicopters. The Gendarmerie General Command provided support with two reconnaissance aircraft and 110 personnel. The General Directorate of Security sent one unmanned aerial vehicle and five personnel. Thirty-four personnel and six vehicles from UMKE, 112 Emergency Medical Services, and various civil society organizations also participated in the operations.

Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya, in a social media statement, expressed condolences to the family of Mehmet Demirci, who lost his life in the accident, and wished a swift recovery for Hicran Kaya, who was rescued injured. Yerlikaya thanked the Rize Governorate, as well as the governorates of Erzurum and Bayburt, JAK teams, AFAD, UMKE, 112 Emergency Medical Services, AKUT, KDRK, and İDAK teams for their support during the search and rescue operations. He emphasized that search and rescue efforts had been conducted in a coordinated manner from the moment of the accident through the night.

Aircraft Technical Specifications and Preparation Process

The M20J-type aircraft used by Mehmet Demirci belongs to the category of small civil aircraft. This model is preferred for long-range individual flights due to its range, speed, and fuel efficiency. The aircraft’s maintenance and technical preparations for the global flight were completed over a period of approximately one year. During the preparation phase, flight routes, fueling airports, technical suitability of landing sites, and civil aviation permit procedures were planned and organized. The flight route planning and permits were finalized approximately five to six days before departure.