Pilot declared electrical failure before Libyan jet crashed near Ankara

A private jet carrying Libya's top military delegation crashed near the Turkish capital Tuesday evening after the pilot declared an urgent electrical failure, according to a detailed timeline released by Turkish authorities. Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated the aircraft issued multiple emergency signals before disappearing from radar, leading to an immediate search operation.

Timeline of the in-flight emergency

The Falcon 50 jet, with tail number 9H-DFS, departed Ankara's Esenboga Airport for Tripoli at 8:17 p.m. local time. At 8:31 p.m., while flying at 32,000 feet, the pilot declared "PAN-PAN" three times—signaling an urgent situation—and reported a total electrical failure, requesting vectors to return. Air traffic control guided the aircraft for an emergency landing. Two minutes later, the crew activated the transponder emergency code 7700, the highest alert level. Communications quickly deteriorated, and the aircraft vanished from radar screens at 8:38 p.m.

Recovery and investigation launched

Search teams located the wreckage near Kesikkavak village in Ankara's Haymana district. Investigators from the Transportation Safety Investigation Center recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the site. Minister Uraloglu announced the recorders would be sent to a neutral country for detailed analysis, with findings to be shared transparently upon the investigation's completion.

Victims and international response

The crash claimed the lives of eight people, including Libya's Chief of General Staff, Mohamed Ali Al-Haddad, four other military officials, and three crew members. Their remains were transferred to the Ankara Forensic Medicine Institute for formal identification. Türkiye suspended operations at Esenboga Airport as a precaution and has coordinated closely with a visiting Libyan delegation. Uraloglu extended condolences to Libya, calling it a "tragic accident."