Libya’s Public Prosecution has placed two pilots in pretrial detention after a 2026-built Cessna Citation Latitude crashed on landing at Misrata International Airport and caught fire. Prosecutors said the captain and co-pilot flew the private jet while intoxicated, with investigators questioning the crew about a day after the accident and confronting them with evidence before ordering detention pending further inquiry.
The aircraft, registered TC-AKF and operated by Turkish firm BKNJET Aviation Co., veered off the runway during the landing accident on 14 September. All three people on board survived, but the crash triggered a criminal investigation into possible violations of aviation and general safety rules. Prosecutors also argued that the crew’s actions endangered the aircraft, airport users and surrounding airspace.
BKNJET has disputed the alcohol allegation and said it had not received any verified test result or document. The case has drawn attention because it combines an operational runway excursion with a rare public prosecutorial finding involving pilot impairment on an international business jet flight.