A significant airplane accident in Turkey has left the Libyan armed forces deeply saddened. A personal aircraft, transporting the Libyan Chief of Staff and additional high-ranking officials, went down shortly after its departure from Ankara airport.
Chief of General Staff General Muhammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad
On the date of December 23rd, in the evening, the Chief of the General Staff of Libya, Lieutenant General Muhammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, passed away in a private plane incident close to Ankara, along with other representatives from the nation’s top military echelons.
As per the Turkish publication Daily Sabah, a personal executive jet carrying notable officials vanished from radar within the Ankara province, subsequent to which Turkish security personnel located its wreckage.
The misfortune transpired on the evening of Tuesday, December 23rd, as the Libyan delegation was journeying back home following a formal visit. Connection with the aircraft was unexpectedly disrupted, and the rescue attempt culminated in the distressing information that there were no survivors.
Disaster timeline
The Falcon 50 airplane, bearing the registration number 9H-DFJ, departed from Esenboga Airport (Ankara) at 19:10 Kyiv time and was destined for Tripoli. Nevertheless, it ceased contact at 19:52.
As reported by NTV, the flight crew requested an urgent descent while passing over the Khaiman area. The aviators communicated issues and started jettisoning fuel in anticipation of a forced landing and return to the originating airfield, yet they were unsuccessful in their attempt.
The aircraft crashed in a mountainous region – at the summit of Selamalmaz-Tepesi, located 2 kilometers from the village of Kesikkavak.
Who was on board?
Türkiye Today indicates that the incident resulted in the loss of life for essential individuals within Libya’s defense structure. In addition to the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Muhammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, there were:
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Commander of the Ground Forces;
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Director of the Department of Military Manufacturing;
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Advisor to the Chief of Staff;
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flight crew members.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeiba has already formally verified the passing of the military personnel.
“We have obtained reports concerning the demise of the Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army and his associates while en route back from Ankara,” the declaration conveyed.
Causes of the tragedy
According to the initial assessment, articulated by the Libyan Minister of Communications, the underlying factor in the accident was a mechanical failure. The nature of the aircraft’s maneuvers prior to its disappearance from radar and attempted emergency landing lends credence to this notion.
It is established that General Al-Haddad was in Turkey at the official invitation of his counterpart Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and engaged in discussions with the country’s Defense Minister Yaşar Güler.
As a reminder, in the US state of Florida, a Beechcraft 55 small plane collided with a Toyota Camry amidst an emergency landing on a heavily trafficked highway. Surprisingly, the driver of the vehicle sustained only minor wounds as a consequence of the event.
Source: tsn.ua