Turkey Launches Investigation After Private Jet Crash Kills Libya's Army Chief and Seven Others

Crash of Libyan military jet

A Dassault Falcon 50 private jet carrying senior Libyan military officials crashed south of Ankara on Dec. 23, killing the passengers and crew.

Turkish authorities have launched a formal investigation into the incident.

Turkish and Libyan officials said the aircraft went down near the village of Kesikkavak in Haymana district after reporting an in-flight emergency.

Wreckage was found scattered over a wide area, and recovery and forensic teams were deployed.

Libya's prime minister called the deaths a "great tragedy," and both countries coordinated the initial response.

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Libyan military plane crash

The crash killed Libya’s army chief of staff — widely named in outlets as Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad (with some sources using variant spellings) — alongside other senior officers and at least three crew members.

Reporting across outlets lists several named Libyan figures among the dead, including Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, adviser Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab and a military photographer.

Libyan authorities declared three days of national mourning and dispatched delegations and relatives to Ankara to assist with identification and investigations.

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Falcon 50 crash update

Turkish officials say the Falcon 50 sent an emergency signal after takeoff from Esenboğa Airport and reported an electrical malfunction while over the Haymana area. The aircraft then vanished from radar during its descent, with contact lost roughly 30–40 minutes after departure according to multiple timelines.

Security-camera footage and TV broadcasts circulated locally showing a bright flash in the night sky near the time contact was lost. Weather and muddy terrain have hampered recovery at a debris field spanning roughly 2–3 square kilometres.

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Aircraft crash investigation

Turkish prosecutors and disaster teams have been assigned to the probe. They recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders. Authorities said the black boxes will be analysed in a neutral country and warned the technical review could take months.

Officials are collecting wreckage and fuel samples. They are conducting autopsies and DNA testing to identify remains. Investigators are examining the pilot's condition, maintenance history and air-traffic communications as part of a broad criminal and technical inquiry.

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Delegation deaths and fallout

Commentators and officials noted the political sensitivity beyond the immediate investigation. The delegation had been in Ankara for high-level defence talks to strengthen Libya–Turkey military cooperation. The deaths removed a senior figure who had been central to UN-led efforts to unify Libya’s armed forces.

Turkey and Libya exchanged condolences, and Libya declared days of mourning while leaders pledged cooperation on the probe. Analysts warned the loss could complicate fragile reconciliation and security arrangements inside Libya.

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