Turkish authorities have released details of the fatal Falcon 50’s communications during the approximately 20 minutes the flight remained airborne.

The pilot had alerted Ankara Air Traffic Control that the aircraft was experiencing difficulties, though the alert was not at the highest emergency level. Communication was initially maintained and the aircraft was cleared to return, but radar contact was lost before the final approach.

According to Turkish officials, the Falcon 50 departed Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport at 20:17 local time (19:17 in Greece), bound for Tripoli, Libya. The takeoff and initial climb were reported to be uneventful and in line with standard procedures.

At 20:25, air traffic control cleared the aircraft to climb to 34,000 feet.

Six minutes later, at 20:31, the crew issued a PAN-PAN alert—a lower-level emergency signal than MAYDAY—reporting a general electrical failure and requesting permission to return to Ankara.

At 20:32, air traffic control instructed the aircraft to return to Esenboğa Airport. One minute later, at 20:33, the pilot confirmed the malfunction, though irregularities were noted in the aircraft’s altitude data.

Further communication took place at 20:34, as the aircraft began its approach to the airport and control was transferred to the Approach Control Unit.

At 20:35, the crew issued a second PAN-PAN alert while coordinating with approach control for the return landing.

By 20:36, communication had become increasingly difficult, with the pilot barely audible. Two minutes later, at 20:38, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Repeated calls by air traffic controllers over the following five minutes went unanswered, despite attempts on multiple frequencies.

Authorities immediately alerted emergency services and initiated search-and-rescue operations. For safety reasons, all arrivals and departures at Esenboğa Airport were temporarily suspended.

The Turkish Air Force’s Air Defense Notification Center later reported that the aircraft had been detected near the village of Kesikavak in the Haymana region. The wreckage was located approximately two hours later.

All eight people on board were killed in the crash, including a Greek flight attendant.

Rescue teams have recovered both the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder—the aircraft’s “black boxes”—which will be sent to a third country for analysis.