Quick summary
A Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, registration TC-LKD, struck a ground radar antenna with its right wing while taxiing at Antalya Airport on June 11, 2026, after the crew turned onto a taxiway too narrow for the aircraft’s 64.8-meter wingspan. The mast collapsed into the fuselage, tearing a hole in the passenger cabin. All 267 passengers were evacuated; one sustained minor injuries. A formal technical investigation has been launched by Turkish authorities.
Oxygen masks deployed inside the cabin, and video from the scene shows structural damage to overhead bins and sidewalls. TC-LKD is now grounded for inspection, with aircraft substitutions possible on Istanbul–Antalya services in the coming days.
The flight itself was uneventful — a routine one-hour hop from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK2430, touching down at Antalya Airport (AYT) on the evening of June 11. What happened next was not.
After landing on Runway 18C and turning onto Taxiway G toward the Domestic Terminal apron, the crew followed the first of two available taxi lines to reach their gate. That line ran directly past a ground radar mast with insufficient clearance for a widebody aircraft. The Boeing 777’s right wingtip struck the antenna at speed, mangling the wing structure. The mast then collapsed sideways and punched through the rear fuselage, tearing a visible hole in the side of the plane.
Inside the cabin, oxygen masks deployed. Overhead bins and interior sidewall panels were destroyed. Cabin crew moved quickly to calm passengers before all 267 people on board were evacuated via mobile airstairs and bussed to the terminal — a process that unfolded without life-threatening injury, though one passenger was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The Turkish Ministry of Transport confirmed the aircraft entered the taxiway from the wrong lane and collided with a ground radar mast on Apron 1. TC-LKD — a 17-year-old 777-300ER still wearing IndiGo livery under a lease arrangement — was subsequently towed to a parking stand and is now out of service pending inspection and repairs. A technical investigation is underway.
What the damage record shows — and what it means for the fleet
Visual evidence from the scene is striking. Photos and video confirm a large hole in the 777’s fuselage, torn wing structure, and deployed oxygen masks — clear indicators that the collapsed radar mast penetrated the passenger compartment rather than simply grazing the exterior. The Turkish Airlines spokesperson, Yahya Üstün, confirmed contact between the right wing and the ground radar antenna pole “while maneuvering to the parking position,” and stated that a technical investigation has been initiated.
The aircraft’s wingspan of approximately 64.8 meters is not unusual for a 777 — it is a design specification every airport handling widebody traffic is expected to accommodate. The question now is whether the taxi routing used on the night was ever certified as suitable for aircraft of that category, and whether crew briefings made the distinction between the two available taxi lines sufficiently clear.
Passenger injury counts vary slightly across early reports — Turkish Airlines confirmed one person with minor injuries, while some accounts cite between one and three light injuries. No life-threatening trauma has been reported by any source. The discrepancy is common in the immediate aftermath of ground incidents and is expected to be resolved in the formal investigation record.
This is not the first time a Boeing 777 has been grounded by a ground-movement incident in recent months. An American Airlines 777-300ER was also taken out of service at Heathrow in June 2026 following a lightning strike — a reminder that widebody groundings, whatever the cause, create immediate capacity pressure on high-frequency routes.
| Factor | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | Boeing 777-300ER, TC-LKD (leased from IndiGo) | Grounded — inspection ongoing |
| Flight | TK2430, Istanbul (IST) to Antalya (AYT) | Completed; aircraft towed to stand |
| Passengers on board | 267 | All evacuated safely |
| Injuries | 1 minor (transported to hospital) | Reported in good condition |
| Cabin damage | Fuselage hole, torn wing, overhead bins, sidewall panels, oxygen masks deployed | Confirmed by visual evidence |
| Baggage disruption | Approximately 2-hour wait reported | Resolved post-evacuation |
| Investigation | Turkish DGCA / Ministry of Transport technical inquiry | Launched; findings pending |
The aircraft’s full damage assessment and Turkish Airlines’ official statement confirm the scope of the structural impact and the evacuation sequence.
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How taxiway routing errors become structural events
Ground incidents of this severity are almost always the product of compounding factors rather than a single mistake. The Ministry of Transport’s statement points to the crew following the wrong lane at a junction where two taxi lines diverged — one running with adequate clearance past the radar mast, one without. For a 777, the difference between those two lines is the difference between a normal arrival and a structural write-off.
Airport ground movement design under ICAO Annex 14 requires taxiway widths and obstacle clearance zones to be matched to the aircraft categories approved for each surface. If the inner taxi line at AYT’s Domestic Terminal apron was not designated for Code E aircraft — the category covering the 777’s wingspan — then the markings themselves may have been misleading. That is precisely what the Turkish DGCA investigation will need to determine: whether this was a crew deviation from a correct procedure, or a procedure that was never adequate for the aircraft type operating the route.
Either finding carries consequences. Crew deviation leads to retraining and updated briefings. Infrastructure inadequacy leads to taxiway redesign, mast relocation, and potentially a review of every widebody routing at AYT — a busy leisure gateway that handles significant seasonal European traffic and connects onward to Istanbul for Asia-Pacific passengers.
Passenger rights under EU261/2004 and UK261 do not apply here — this was a domestic Turkish flight, entirely outside EU and UK jurisdiction. US DOT and Canadian APPR rules are equally irrelevant. Affected passengers must seek redress directly from Turkish Airlines under Turkish national consumer protection law, and if necessary through Turkish consumer arbitration boards.
Steps to take if your Antalya travel is affected
TC-LKD is grounded with no confirmed return-to-service date, and the DGCA investigation is in its early stages — Istanbul–Antalya capacity is under pressure right now.
- Check your booking immediately: Log into the Turkish Airlines app or “Manage Booking” portal and verify your aircraft type for any IST–AYT flight in the next week. A narrowbody substitution may already be in place without a notification push.
- Document everything if you were on TK2430: Keep your boarding pass, any medical receipts, and baggage delay records. Contact Turkish Airlines customer service within 24 hours, reference flight TK2430 and the date June 11, 2026, and request written confirmation of the disruption. This documentation is essential for any compensation claim under Turkish law.
- Build buffer time at AYT: If you have a connection through Antalya in the coming days, add time. Temporary apron restrictions or revised taxi routing during the investigation period can affect turnaround times and baggage delivery.
- Know your alternatives: Pegasus Airlines and SunExpress both operate Antalya routes. For Asia-Pacific connections, the primary hub remains Istanbul (IST) — Antalya does not offer nonstop long-haul service, and Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP) is a distant backup with very limited international connectivity.
Watch: The Turkish DGCA’s preliminary investigation findings — expected within the coming weeks — will determine whether the taxiway routing at AYT’s Domestic Terminal apron is reconfigured for widebody operations. If TC-LKD’s repair timeline extends beyond a few weeks, expect continued aircraft substitutions on high-demand Istanbul–Antalya services through the summer peak.
Questions? Answers.
Was the Boeing 777 written off in the Antalya incident?
TC-LKD has not been declared a write-off. The aircraft was towed to a parking stand and is undergoing technical inspection. The extent of structural damage to the wing and fuselage will determine whether repair is viable — that assessment is ongoing. If repair timelines are long, Turkish Airlines may source a replacement aircraft for affected rotations.
Am I entitled to compensation if I was on TK2430?
EU261/2004 and UK261 do not apply because TK2430 was a domestic Turkish flight between Istanbul and Antalya, entirely outside EU and UK jurisdiction. US DOT and Canadian APPR rules also do not apply. Your rights are governed by Turkish national consumer protection and civil aviation law. Contact Turkish Airlines directly with your boarding pass and any receipts, and if unresolved, Turkish consumer arbitration boards are the next step.
Is Antalya Airport safe to fly through right now?
The airport remains operational. The incident affected a specific taxiway junction on Apron 1 at the Domestic Terminal, and the damaged ground radar mast and aircraft have been removed from the active movement area. The Turkish DGCA investigation may result in temporary adjustments to taxi routing for widebody aircraft, but there is no indication of broader operational suspension. Expect possible minor delays related to revised ground movement procedures while the investigation is active.
Why was the Boeing 777 still in IndiGo livery?
TC-LKD is leased by Turkish Airlines from IndiGo under a wet or dry lease arrangement. It is common for leased aircraft to retain the lessor’s livery, particularly on shorter-term agreements, rather than being repainted for the operating carrier. The aircraft’s registration and operational responsibility rest with Turkish Airlines for the duration of the lease.
