Plane crash in Turkiye: Eight people including Libyan military chief killed in plane crash in Turkey, investigation ongoing

Ankara. A private plane carrying Libya’s military chief, four other officers and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after taking off from the Turkish capital Ankara, killing all on board. Libyan officials said the accident occurred due to a technical fault on the plane. Turkish officials said the Libyan delegation was in Ankara for high-level defense talks aimed at expanding military cooperation between the two countries. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Gen. Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad and four other officers, saying in a statement posted on Facebook that the “tragic accident” occurred as the delegation was returning home.

The Prime Minister described it as a “big loss” for Libya. Al-Haddad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a key role in the UN-brokered Libyan military unification efforts. Like other institutions in Libya, the army there is also divided. The other four officers killed in the crash were General al-Fittouri Ghrabil, head of the Libyan ground forces, Brigadier General Mahmoud al-Katawi, head of the Military Manufacturing Authority, Mohammed al-Asawi Diab, advisor to the Chief of Staff, and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a military photographer working in the Office of the Chief of Staff. The identity of the three crew members is not yet known.

Turkish officials said the wreckage of the ‘Falcon-50’ type commercial aircraft was found near Kesikkavak village in Haymana district, located about 70 kilometers (about 43.5 miles) south of Ankara. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Turkish air traffic controllers had said that they lost contact with the plane returning to Libya after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboğa airport.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on social media that the plane took off at 8:30 p.m. and was lost 40 minutes later. Yerlikaya said the plane had sent a signal for an emergency landing near Haimana, after which contact was lost.

Burhanettin Duran, head of communications at Turkey’s presidential office, said the plane had reported an electrical fault to air traffic control and requested an emergency landing.

He said that the plane was diverted back towards Essienboa, where preparations for its landing were started but while coming down the plane disappeared from the radar. Earlier, Al-Haddad had met Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Gular and other officials in Ankara.

Ankara’s airport has been temporarily closed and many flights have been diverted. Turkey’s Justice Ministry said the case was being investigated. Libya will send a team to Ankara to investigate in collaboration with Turkish authorities, according to a government statement posted on Facebook.