Libya's Army Chief Killed in Jet Crash: International Probe Into 'Electrical Failure' Begins

A high-stakes military visit has ended in tragedy. Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, Libya's army chief, and seven others were killed when their private jet went down near Ankara on December 24, 2025. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is leading a multi-national investigation into the cause of the fatal crash.

The Final 16 Minutes: From Takeoff to Silence

The French-made Dassault Falcon 50 took off from Esenboga Airport at 2:17 pm heading back to Libya. Just 16 minutes later, at 2:33 pm, the crew reported an electrical malfunction and requested an emergency return. The aircraft transmitted the 7700 squawk code before radar contact was lost at 2:41 pm. Officials noted there was only a two-minute window between the final alarm and the impact.

A Global Forensic Effort

Given the aircraft's origin and the high-profile nature of the passengers, France's civil aviation agency BEA has joined the probe. Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated that the black boxes might be sent to another country for advanced analysis to ensure maximum transparency. Aviation analyst Guntay Simsek indicated that early evidence suggests no external factors like an explosion were involved, focusing the investigation on technical maintenance and structural integrity.