Harmony Jets Flight 185
 9H-DFS, the aircraft involved in the accident, pictured in July 2025 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 December 2025 |
| Summary | Crashed shortly after takeoff; under investigation |
| Site | Near Haymana, Turkey |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Dassault Falcon 50 |
| Operator | Harmony Jets |
| ICAO flight No. | HMJ185 |
| Registration | 9H-DFS |
| Flight origin | Ankara Esenboğa Airport, Ankara, Turkey |
| Destination | Mitiga International Airport, Tripoli, Libya |
| Occupants | 8 |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 8 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Harmony Jets Flight 185 was a charter flight from Ankara Esenboğa Airport to Mitiga International Airport. On 23 December 2025, the aircraft operating the flight, a Dassault Falcon 50, crashed shortly after takeoff. The plane was carrying the Libyan Army chief Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, three crew members and four other passengers.[1][2] All passengers and crew were killed.
Background
[edit]Aircraft
[edit]The aircraft involved was a leased 37-year-old Dassault Falcon 50 operated by Harmony Jets and registered in Malta,[3][4] with serial number 185.[5]
Passengers and crew
[edit]| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 France |
0 | 2 | 2 |
 Greece |
0 | 1 | 1 |
 Libya |
5 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 8 |
The aircraft was carrying officials returning from a trip to Ankara to discuss security cooperation between Libya and Turkey.[6] The five passengers were identified as Libyan Army chief Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, ground forces chief of staff Al-Fitouri Gharibil, director of the Military Manufacturing Authority Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, al-Haddad's adviser Muhammad Al-Asawi Diab and military photographer Muhammad Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.[3] The plane was crewed by two French crew members and a Greek air hostess.[1][7][8]
Crash
[edit]The aircraft took off from Ankara Esenboğa Airport in Ankara at 17:17 GMT, en route to Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Libya. At 17:32, it stopped climbing at 32,475 ft (9,898 m). A minute later the transponder code was changed to squawk 7700 (emergency) and the crew informed air traffic control (ATC) of an electrical malfunction.[9] The crew requested an emergency landing and were redirected back to Esenboğa Airport where preparations for its landing began. Three minutes after, the aircraft began descending before losing signal with ATC at 17:41 near the village of Babayakup, approximately two kilometers (1.2 mi) south of Haymana. A possible explosion was caught on security camera footage. Authorities discovered wreckage near the village of Kesikkavak in Haymana district.[3] The crash site covered approximately 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi).[10]
Aftermath
[edit]The crash caused the airport to be temporarily closed, and several flights were diverted.[1] Turkey sent a search and rescue team of 408 personnel to the scene, and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency established a mobile coordination center. Recovery efforts continued the following morning after being hampered by overnight fog and rain. Specialized vehicles including tracked ambulances were deployed due to muddy terrain. The crash site was secured by the Gendarmerie General Command.[11]
Harmony Jets published a press release saying it is deeply saddened and their hearts are with everyone affected. They also said they are working closely with authorities and doing everything they can to care for impacted families and support team members.[12]
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered his condolences during a phone call to Libyan prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.[13] In Libya, the internationally recognized Government of National Unity based in Tripoli declared three days of national mourning for the crash victims, placed state flags at half-mast, and suspended official ceremonies and celebrations. Officials from the rival Government of National Stability in eastern Libya also expressed condolences, including military commander Khalifa Haftar and the House of Representatives.[3] The Libyan Presidential Council appointed General Salah Eddine al-Namrush as interim chief of staff of the Libyan army to replace Haddad.[14]
A military funeral for the victims was held at the Mürted Airfield Command in Ankara. The bodies of the deceased, which were stored at the Ankara Forensic Medicine Institute for identification through DNA analysis, were transported to Libya aboard an aircraft.[15]
Investigation
[edit]Turkish officials ruled out sabotage and said the initial cause was technical failure after the pilot notified ATC that there was an electrical fault. Libya sent a team of 22 people, including five relatives of the victims, to Ankara to work with Turkish authorities on investigating the crash. They arrived the following day.[3][11] Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were found.[16]
The Turkish Ministry of Justice assigned four prosecutors to investigate the crash.[17] Transportation Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said that the flight recordings would be investigated by a "neutral third country".[11] On 26 December, it was announced that the black box would be sent to Germany.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Fraser, Suzan; Abuelgasim, Fay (23 December 2025). "Libya's military chief and 7 others are killed in a plane crash after takeoff from Turkey". AP News. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Dassault Falcon 50 9H-DFS, Tuesday 23 December 2025". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Libyan army chief killed in plane crash near Turkiye's capital, Ankara". Al Jazeera. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ "Maltese registered aircraft crashes in Ankara, Libyan military chief killed". Times of Malta. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ Petchenik, Ian (23 December 2025). "Business jet crashes near Ankara carrying Libyan military leader". Flightradar24 Blog. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ Lukiv, Jaroslav (23 December 2025). "Libya's army chief killed in air crash in Turkey". BBC News. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ Tuysuz, Gul; Tawfeeq, Mohammed (23 December 2025). "Libya's army chief killed in plane crash in Turkey". CNN. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Συντριβή Falcon στην Τουρκία: Αυτή είναι η Ελληνίδα αεροσυνοδός που σκοτώθηκε – Ηταν μόλις 2 μήνες στην εταιρεία" [Falcon crash in Turkey: This is the Greek flight attendant who was killed – She had only been with the company for 2 months]. The TOC (in Greek). 24 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ "Libya army chief of staff killed in jet crash near Ankara after fault reported, Turkish official says". Reuters. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Black box recovered from Libyan general's crashed plane". France 24. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ a b c Fraser, Suzan; Abuelgasim, Fay (24 December 2025). "Turkey recovers black boxes from jet crash that killed top Libyan military officials". AP News. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Press release: Harmony Jets – Official Statement" (Press release). Harmony Jets. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ "Investigators probe plane crash in Turkey that killed Libyan military officials". CBS News. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Libyan army chief killed in plane crash: What we know so far". Al Jazeera. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ "Turkey holds military funeral for Libyan officers killed in plane crash". AP News. 27 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ^ Kaminski-Morrow, David (24 December 2025). "Flight recorders found after Libyan army chief's Falcon 50 crashes in Turkey". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ Fraser, Suzan; Abuelgasm, Fay (24 December 2025). "Libya's military chief and 7 others killed in plane crash after takeoff from Turkey". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Libya, Türkiye to send black box of crashed plane to Germany for analysis". The Peninsula Qatar. 26 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.