New technical details have emerged from the black box investigation into the tragic plane crash near Ankara that claimed the life of Libya’s Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al Haddad, and several members of his military delegation in December 2025.
Turkish authorities, led by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, have now disclosed key findings from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recovered from the wreckage of the Dassault Falcon 50 business jet. The analysis — conducted with international cooperation, including work in the United Kingdom — reveals a series of critical in-flight malfunctions and crew communications in the moments leading up to the fatal crash.
Electrical Failures and Emergency Calls
According to the minister, the aircraft departed Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport on the evening of 23 December 2025 bound for Tripoli, Libya. Just two minutes after takeoff, pilots reported a malfunction in the second electrical generator. Seconds later, the third generator failed as well, leaving the jet with severely compromised systems.
The cockpit recordings show the crew maintained communication with air traffic control throughout much of the flight, declaring an emergency and requesting a return to the airport. Initial alerts were logged as “PAN PAN,” indicating urgency but not yet a life threatening situation. As systems continued failing, pilots eventually activated the highest distress signal, “MAYDAY.”
Final Moments Before the Crash
Despite guidance from air traffic controllers and attempts to manually control the aircraft, the jet could not remain stable flight. Contact with the aircraft became intermittent in the final minutes, and the Falcon 50 ultimately crashed in the Haymana district south of Ankara after approximately 37 minutes in the air.
Officials confirmed that both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were damaged in the crash, with the older flight data unit yielding little usable information so far. Still, the comprehensive CVR analysis has been crucial in reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the disaster. Ongoing Probe and Judicial Oversight
The investigation is being conducted under the supervision of the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office, with Turkish and Libyan authorities cooperating closely. While the full technical analysis of the damaged flight data recorder continues, Uraloğlu emphasized that investigators have extracted enough data from the cockpit audio to understand the key factors in the crash.
Officials have stressed that determining whether the accident could have been prevented — particularly had the aircraft attempted an immediate return after the initial malfunction — will be part of the final investigation report.
Remembering the Victims
The crash, one of the deadliest involving Libyan officials abroad in recent years, not only killed Lt. Gen. Al Haddad but also members of his military entourage and crew. The loss sent shockwaves throughout Libya and beyond, prompting tributes and calls for a thorough and transparent investigation.
As technical teams continue their work in the UK and Turkey, authorities have pledged to release further findings and conclusions once the full investigation is concluded.