Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a statement regarding the black box investigation of the aircraft that crashed in Ankara while carrying a Libyan military delegation. Voice recordings were deciphered, but data records could not be accessed.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made important statements regarding the black box investigations of the aircraft that crashed in Ankara while carrying a Libyan military delegation. He announced that as a result of technical examinations conducted in the UK, the data from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) had been deciphered, but no information had yet been obtained from the flight data recorder (FDR).
The Aircraft Made Emergency Calls
Minister Uraloğlu stated that the aircraft was in constant communication with the control tower before and after the emergency call, and that the pilots mentioned electrical and generator failures. He noted that the pilots conveyed their request to return to the airport using “PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN”, which is one level below the highest emergency call used in aviation.
Uraloğlu stated that following this call, guidance efforts were initiated by the control tower, and that when the systems were completely disabled, manual guidance efforts were undertaken.
Generator Failures Reflected in Voice Recordings
Referring to the information obtained from the cockpit voice recorder during examinations conducted in the UK, Uraloğlu stated that the aircraft took off on 23 December 2025 at 20:17, and that in the first minutes of the flight, the pilots reported that the second and third generators on the three-engine aircraft had gone offline.
Uraloğlu noted that shortly afterwards all generators went offline, and that conversations reflected that the systems then temporarily came back online. He stated that the aircraft was involved in an accident near Haymana after a total flight time of 37 minutes from take-off.
Communication Lost After the 27th Minute
Minister Uraloğlu said that continuous contact with the aircraft was maintained until approximately the 27th–28th minute, but after that point, due to loss of altitude, healthy communication could no longer be established and the aircraft disappeared from radar screens. It was also reported that all take-offs and landings at Esenboğa Airport were suspended during this process.
Voice Recordings Completed, Data Records Under Review
Uraloğlu stated that of the two devices found in the black box, the examination of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) had been completed, but the flight data recorder (FDR) had not yet been deciphered due to its very old age and severe damage. Emphasising that efforts are ongoing, Uraloğlu said that any additional information obtained would be submitted to judicial authorities.
Investigation Continues Under the Prosecutor’s Office
Uraloğlu stated that the investigation into the crash is being conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, and that the final assessment will be made following expert reports and judicial proceedings. He stressed that the initial findings provide important clues about the course of events, but that the definitive conclusion will only become clear at the end of the legal process.
Libyan Chief of General Staff Lost His Life in the Crash
In the crash that occurred on 23 December 2025, Libyan Chief of the General Staff General Mohamed Ali Ahmed Al Haddad, four accompanying military officials, and a three-member flight crew lost their lives. Following the crash, a security perimeter was established in the area, and the wreckage and black box were taken under protection.
