A private Falcon 50 jet crashed near Ankara on Tuesday evening, killing all five people on board, including Libya’s Chief of the General Staff, General Mohamed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad.
The aircraft had departed from Ankara Esenboğa Airport en route to Tripoli when it lost contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff.
The jet reportedly sent an emergency landing request near Haymana, but communication was lost before the aircraft could land. Turkish authorities located the wreckage on a hillside approximately two kilometers south of the village of Kesikkavak, south of Ankara. A post-crash fire broke out at the site, and video footage circulating online shows a bright flash, believed to be linked to the crash.
On board were General Al-Haddad, Lieutenant General Al-Fitouri Gabbel, Director of Military Production Brigadier Mahmoud Al-Kutawi, adviser Professor Mohamed Al-Asawi Diab, and Press Office photographer Mohamed Omar Ahmed Mahtjoob. The death of the general and all passengers was confirmed by Abdelhamid Dbeibeh, head of Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Unity.
Initial reports suggest the aircraft may have experienced electronic system problems. The incident prompted the temporary closure of Ankara Esenboğa Airport, with flights diverted to Kayseri Airport. This marks the third aircraft crash linked to Turkey in approximately 40 days, following a C-130 transport crash on November 11 and a Canadair firefighting plane crash on November 13.
General Al-Haddad was visiting Ankara for official meetings with Turkey’s Chief of General Staff, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler when the incident occurred. Authorities from the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie, AFAD, and the Ministries of Transport and Interior have launched a full investigation.
