Libyan military delegation examining wreckage of crashed jet in Ankara

ANKARA

A group of military officials from Libya is carrying out inspections at the crash site in Türkiye of a private jet that was transporting Libyan Chief of Gen. Staff General Mohamed Ali Al-Haddad, along with four accompanying officials and three crew members.

The military officials arrived in the capital Ankara by air on Wednesday and were welcomed by National Defense Ministry officials and later traveled by minibus to Kesikkavak in Ankara’s Haymana district, where the jet went down late Tuesday, killing everyone on board.

The delegation then proceeded to the area where the wreckage is located, where search and investigation efforts are ongoing.

The black box and cockpit voice recorder were recovered early Wednesday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, adding that the wreckage is spread out over an area of roughly 3 square kilometers (about 1.16 square miles).

The process of examining and evaluating these devices – which should help determine the cause of the crash – has begun, Yerlikaya said.

Over 400 personnel have been working at the scene with 103 ground vehicles and seven air vehicles, he added.

A 22-member Libyan delegation – including five relatives of the victims, Defense Ministry representatives, and officials from the Interior Ministry – has also arrived in Ankara, Yerlikaya said.

“We are also very curious about (the cause of the crash), but this data will reveal the cause, and the authorities will share the findings with you,” he said.

The Falcon 50-type business jet crashed after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport en route to Tripoli, the Libyan capital.