Libyan prosecutors have opened an investigation into a runway excursion involving a Turkish-operated Cessna Citation Latitude at Misrata International Airport, with the jet’s captain and first officer now in pretrial custody. The near-new business aircraft, registered TC-AKF, veered off the runway after landing in Libya and caught fire, but all three people on board escaped with no serious injuries.
The prosecutor’s office has examined the wreckage, reviewed air traffic control recordings and weather data, and questioned technical personnel involved in the landing. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered for analysis at a specialist facility. Authorities allege both pilots were intoxicated and had breached aviation and general safety rules, creating a hazard for the aircraft, airport users and surrounding airspace.
The aircraft is operated by a Turkish company and the airport briefly suspended flights while emergency crews and safety teams dealt with the aftermath. The company has disputed the alcohol finding, while the cause of the accident remains under investigation.