Learjet crashes in Ankara: Libya’s Chief of the General Staff, Mohammed Al-Haddad, dead

The pilot had requested permission for an emergency landing – Five passengers were on the aircraft, among them the Libyan Chief of the General Staff – Turkish authorities located the wreckage; see video and photos of the explosion and the debris

A private Falcon 50 aircraft disappeared from radar screens after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport, Turkish media report.

Esenboğa Airport was temporarily closed, and flights are being diverted to Kayseri Airport.

The Falcon 50 was headed for Tripoli, and it is believed that Libya’s Chief of the General Staff was on board.

Hurriyet reports that a loud noise was heard near the Haymana area, and an investigation into the incident has begun.

🔴#SONDAKİKA | Libya Genelkurmay Başkanı'nın bulunduğu uçağın iletişimin kesildiği noktaya yakın bölgede meydana gelen patlamanın görüntüsü:

Arama-kurtarma çalışmaları devam ediyor. https://t.co/0YAeTbkoiN pic.twitter.com/msQCqybnCc
— ibrahim Haskoloğlu (@haskologlu) December 23, 2025

The Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, wrote in a statement on X:

“Contact was lost at 8:52 p.m. tonight with a professional Falcon 50 jet, with serial number 9H-DFJ, which took off from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport at 8:10 p.m. bound for Tripoli. A request for an emergency landing near Haymana was received from the aircraft.

However, contact with the aircraft could not be established afterwards. Five passengers are on board, including the Chief of the Libyan Armed Forces General Staff, General Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad. The public will be informed of further developments.”

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