The Libyan army’s chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, died in a plane crash on Tuesday after leaving Turkey’s capital, Ankara, the prime minister of Libya‘s internationally recognised government said, adding that four others were on the jet as well.
“This followed a tragic and painful incident while they were returning from an official trip from the Turkish city of Ankara. This grave loss is a great loss for the nation, for the military institution, and for all the people,” Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah said in a statement.
Turkey’s Statements
Turkey’s head of communications said on Wednesday that the private jet carrying the chief of staff of Libya’s army reported an electrical failure and requested an emergency landing shortly before crashing near Ankara.
The Dassault Falcon 50 jet took off from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 1717 GMT on Tuesday en route to Tripoli, and at 1733 GMT it informed air traffic control of an emergency caused by an electrical malfunction, Burhanettin Duran said in a statement.
Eight people, including three crew members, were killed in the crash, according to Libyan and Turkish officials.
Air traffic control redirected the aircraft back toward Esenboga Airport, and emergency measures were initiated, but the jet disappeared from radar at 1736 GMT while descending for landing and contact was lost, he said.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the wreckage was later found near Kesikkavak village in the area.
Investigation Underway
Turkey’s defence ministry had announced Haddad’s visit earlier, saying he had met with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Turkish counterpart Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, along with other Turkish military commanders.
Search and rescue teams reached the crash site after operations were launched by Turkey’s Interior Ministry, and investigations into the cause of the crash were continuing with the involvement of all relevant authorities, Duran said.
Libya’s internationally recognised government has said the dead included the country’s army chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, and four members of his entourage.
Libyan officials have said the jet was leased and registered in Malta, adding that its ownership and technical history would be examined as part of the investigation.
(with inputs from Reuters)
