Two pilots are suspected of being drunk when the private jet they were flying crashed during landing at Misrata Airport in Libya. The Cessna aircraft caught fire after veering off the runway, and all three people on board — the two pilots and a flight attendant — were safely rescued by emergency services.
Arrests ordered over alleged alcohol use
Libya's public prosecution has ordered the arrest of the two pilots for allegedly flying the Cessna Citation Latitude while under the influence of alcohol. The identities of the pilots have not been disclosed by authorities, but Libyan media reports the captain is a German national and his co-pilot Turkish.
Shocking pictures from the scene show most of the aircraft turned to ash as dark grey smoke kept rising while firefighters were in attendance. Only the cockpit appeared to still be intact.
Flight details and operator response
The private jet, registered as TC-AKF, took off from Istanbul Ataturk Airport at 5:45am local time without any passengers on board. The plane was on its way to Misrata to pick up passengers, according to reports. Libya's Transportation Ministry said it suspended flights at the airport after the incident.
The Libyan prosecution said investigators found "evidence that (the pilots) had flown the aircraft while drunk" and ordered their pre-trial detention, Arab News reports. Authorities added that the two individuals "posed a real threat" to the "airport, its users and the safety of the airspace the aircraft traversed before it crashed".
The aircraft belongs to the Turkish conglomerate Akfen Holding, led by Turkish businessman Hamdi Akin. It was operated by BKNJET Aviation Co. and had capacity for nine passengers. BKNJET disputed the Libyan authorities' claims that the pilots were drunk, New York Post reports. The operator said: "No verified result or document indicating any such finding regarding alcohol has been received by us."
