Türkiye reveals the cause of the plane crash of the Libyan Army Chief of Staff

The head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department, Burhanuddin Duran, said on Wednesday that the private plane that was carrying the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army and seven other people reported an electrical malfunction and requested an emergency landing before communication with it was lost and it crashed near Ankara.

He added in a statement that the plane, a Dassault Falcon 50, took off from Esenboga Airport in Ankara at 1717 GMT yesterday, Tuesday, heading to Tripoli, and at 1733 GMT, air traffic control was informed of the existence of an emergency resulting from an electrical malfunction.

Duran said that air traffic control redirected the plane towards Esenboga Airport and emergency measures were taken, but the plane disappeared from the radar screen at 1736 GMT during its landing and contact with it was lost.

Duran indicated that investigations into the cause of the crash are continuing with the participation of all relevant authorities.

“The plane’s cockpit voice recorder was found at 0245 hours and the flight data recorder was found at 0320 hours. Examination and analysis of the two boxes began,” Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters at the plane crash site near the Haymana district of Ankara.

Yerlikaya said earlier that the plane requested an emergency landing while flying over the Haymana district in Ankara, adding that the wreckage of the plane was later found near the village of Kesikkavak.

The internationally recognized Libyan government said that among the dead were the Chief of Staff of the Army, Muhammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, along with the Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces, the Director of the Military Industrialization Service, the Advisor to the Chief of General Staff of the Libyan Army, and a photographer in the Information Office of the Chief of General Staff.

The head of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Al-Dabaiba, said yesterday, Tuesday, in a statement, “With great sadness and sorrow, we received news of the death of the Chief of General Staff of the Libyan Army, Lieutenant General Muhammad Al-Haddad, and his companions… This great loss is a great loss for the nation, the military institution, and all the people.”

Turkish officials announced the death of three other crew members.

Libyan officials said that the plane was rented and registered in Malta, and added that information such as its ownership, previous record of its problems, and technical specifications would be subject to examination as part of the investigation into the incident.