The jet of the Libyan General Staff and his military delegation paying an official visit to Ankara took off for the return journey and crashed into mountainous terrain in Haymana district. What happened minute by minute in the accident that killed 8 people, including 5 soldiers, including the Chief of the Libyan General Staff and the Commander of Libya's ground forces?
Yesterday evening, a private jet taking off from Ankara Esenboğa Airport to Libya's Tripoli Mitiga Airport crashed in mountainous terrain in Haymana district.
Eight people, including the Chief of the Libyan General Staff and the Commander of the ground forces, including five soldiers, were killed in the accident.
Minister of Transport Abdulkadir Uraloğlu shared what is happening online every hour.
In his post, Uraloğlu said that a private plane of the Falcon 50 type registered with Malta Civil Aviation with tail number 9H-DFS, which took off at 20:17 local time, had an accident.
Conversation between Esenboğa Air Traffic Control Center and the Captain and Co-Pilot before the plane crashed:
Regarding Airplane Accident/Incident in Crimea called HMJ185 on December 23, 2025;
– At 20:17 local time, from Esenboğa Airport to Libya Mitiga Airport (Tripoli); The plane, number HMJ185, took off according to standard procedures. After takeoff, it was transferred from Esenboğa Tower to the “Approach Control Unit” at our Air Traffic Control Center and then to the “Field Control Unit”, according to normal and appropriate procedures.
Accordingly, the relevant flight is allowed to gradually increase altitude as required;
– At 20:25 local time, it was last allowed to sail, climbing to an altitude of 34,000 feet.
– At 20:31 local time, when the aircraft in question was at about 32,000 feet, it declared PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN (the lower level of MAY DAY alert, which is the riskiest emergency code in flight), indicating a General Electrical Fault and requesting a radar vector (flight path) back to Ankara.
– At 20:32 local time, according to the instructions of the Air Traffic Controller, the aircraft was informed about the start of the flight and will descend to return to Esenboğa Airport.
– At 20:33 local time, emergency code 7700 (the riskiest emergency code on the flight) was activated by the pilot on the plane. After Air Traffic Control reconfirmed the problem, information about the altitude of the aircraft in question could not be tracked on radar.
· At 20:34 local time, due to interference between the pilot and air traffic controller, the air traffic controller confirmed with the pilot about sound level control.
– At 20:34 local time, the level crossed by the Field Control Unit was confirmed by the pilot and transferred to the Approach Control Unit for an emergency return to Esenboğa Airport.
– At 20:35 local time, the aircraft contacted the Approach Control Unit to return to Esenboğa Airport by declaring PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN and was given the radar vector and the levels at which it would descend.
– At 20:36 local time, Pilot-Controller communications were lost and the pilot's voice became difficult to hear. However, the flight information on the radar screen was partially lost.
– At 20:38 local time, Air Traffic Controllers observed on the Radar screen that the plane was completely invisible.
– There was no response to calls to the aircraft in question by the Air Traffic Controller at 20:38 local time and subsequently, attempts were made to approach the aircraft on different frequencies for approximately 5 minutes but no response was received. After that, our on-duty force immediately notified relevant units to carry out search and rescue work.
“PRELIMINARY RESEARCH REPORT HAS BEGUN”
Uraloğlu continued his article: “In addition, since the location of the aircraft involved could not be determined during this process, landings and take-offs were temporarily stopped at Esenboğa Airport in case of an emergency landing of the aircraft in question, and all precautions were taken to the maximum extent at Esenboğa Airport to ensure aviation safety.
Once again, in the event of a plane crash, search and rescue operations are immediately deployed by air and road by relevant authorities.
The Air Force Air Defense Information Center confirmed that the transport involved had an accident and accident near Kesikkavak Village in Haymana district.
Right from the moment the incident occurred, the Chairman of the Traffic Safety Investigation Center directed to the scene after the accident and coordinated with relevant authorities.
As a result of the examination at the wreckage area, the aircraft's voice recorder (Cockpit Voice Recorder-CVR) and data recorder (Flight Data Recorder-FDR) were found.
Preliminary reporting work has begun and following an initial examination of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and data recorder (FDR), examination of the voice recorder and flight data recorder will be conducted in a neutral country to determine the cause of the aircraft accident.
After the investigation, the incident will be shared with our country and the world in a transparent manner.
“May God have mercy on those who died in this tragic accident and we express our condolences to the friendly and brotherly country of Libya, the state and the Libyan people,” he said.
PROCLAIMING 3 NATIONAL TRADE DAYS
It is known that among the dead was the Chief of the Libyan General Staff, General Al-Haddad, as well as the Commander of the ground forces, Lieutenant General al-Fituri Gribel. Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Unity Abdulhamid Dibeybe also shared a condolence message on social networks about the accident. Afterwards, the Libyan Unity Government declared three days of national mourning nationwide.
INVESTIGATION HAS STARTED
The Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office has also opened an investigation into the plane crash. In this context, four Prosecutors have been appointed under the coordination of a Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.
