A private Falcon 50 jet carrying Libya’s top military brass disappeared from radar just 42 minutes after takeoff from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport Tuesday evening, Turkish authorities confirmed in a stunning development. Lt. Gen. Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, Libya’s Chief of General Staff, was among the eight souls on board when the aircraft made a desperate emergency call over Haymana district before plummeting to earth.
The drama unfolded around 17:52 GMT when air traffic controllers lost contact with the Maltese-registered Dassault Falcon 50 headed for Tripoli. Security footage circulating on Turkish social media captured a brilliant explosion lighting up the night sky near Kesikkavak village, 74km south of the capital.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced gendarmes located scattered wreckage across a 2km radius – no survivors expected from the high-impact terrain collision. Four other senior Libyan officers perished alongside al-Haddad, including Ground Forces Chief Al-Fitouri Ghraibil and the Military Manufacturing Director.
Geopolitical Fallout Upcoming?
Al-Haddad had wrapped high-stakes meetings with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu earlier Tuesday, discussing drone deliveries and military training programs. Turkey’s support for Tripoli’s UN-recognized government against Haftar’s eastern forces made the visit particularly sensitive. The 30+ year-old Falcon 50’s age immediately raised eyebrows – business jets of that vintage carry elevated mechanical risks, though sabotage theories are already swirling amid Libya’s civil war chaos.
Ankara’s Chief Prosecutor launched a criminal investigation overnight, with black boxes recovered from the crash site. Weather was clear, ruling out turbulence, but questions linger over why the emergency landing request over Haymana wasn’t accommodated. Libya declared three days of national mourning while Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah activated a crisis cell. The command vacuum in Tripoli’s military leadership could trigger immediate power struggles as Haftar loyalists circle.
