Probe into fatal Libya military plane crash cites catastrophic generator failures

A detailed investigation into the fatal crash of a Libyan military delegation's aircraft near Ankara last December has identified a rapid and total failure of the plane's electrical generators as a critical factor. Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu provided new technical insights into the accident, which claimed the lives of eight people, including Libya’s chief of general staff.

Sequence of Failures and Emergency Response

Minister Uraloğlu stated that data from the heavily damaged cockpit voice recorder reveals the sequence of events. Shortly after takeoff from Ankara's Esenboğa Airport on December 23, the pilots reported the failure of the second generator, followed by the third approximately 14 seconds later. The crew soon indicated that all generators had gone offline, prompting an emergency "PAN-PAN" call and a request to return to the airport. Air traffic control halted all other operations and began guiding the stricken aircraft back.

Final Moments and Search for Data

Communication was maintained for roughly 27 minutes before becoming unreliable as the aircraft lost altitude. The pilots activated an emergency transponder signal, which was detected by controllers before the plane disappeared from radar and crashed in the Haymana area. While analysis of the cockpit recorder is complete, the flight data recorder was too severely damaged to yield information. It was sent to the UK for specialized analysis, a process monitored by Turkish investigators.

Ongoing Investigation and Preliminary Assessment

The minister emphasized that the final conclusions will be determined by judicial authorities and comprehensive expert reports. A preliminary interpretation suggests that an earlier decision to return might have altered the outcome. The crash has underscored the technical challenges of investigating severely damaged aviation equipment and the international cooperation required in such probes.