Private Jet Carrying Libyan Military Chief Loses Contact Over Turkey

A private jet carrying Libya’s Chief of General Staff under the Government of National Unity reportedly crashed near Ankara on Tuesday evening, after losing contact with Turkish air traffic control shortly after requesting an emergency landing. Turkish authorities confirmed that communication with the aircraft was lost while it was en route from the Turkish capital to Tripoli.

According to a statement by Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the aircraft, a Falcon 50 with tail number 9H-DFJ, departed Ankara Esenboğa Airport at around 20:10 local time. The jet later issued an emergency landing request while flying near the Haymana district south of Ankara. Contact with the aircraft was subsequently lost, and efforts to re-establish communication were unsuccessful.

Yerlikaya confirmed that five people were on board, including Libya’s Chief of General Staff Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al‑Haddad, along with four other passengers. He did not provide further details regarding the condition of those on board.

Libyan and Turkish media reported that an explosion was observed near the area where contact with the aircraft was lost, with video footage circulating on social media purportedly showing a blast in the vicinity. Reuters cited flight-tracking data indicating that air traffic around Ankara Airport was temporarily diverted following the incident, suggesting an emergency response was underway.