Private jet crashes and burns at Misurata Airport

A medium-sized Cessna twin-engine private jet crashed and caught fire during landing at Misurata International Airport on Monday morning. The aircraft had departed from Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport earlier that morning.

Preliminary investigations suggest the aircraft experienced a technical engine failure during the landing phase, causing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing that resulted in the plane veering off the runway. While the aircraft was completely destroyed by the fire, the cockpit remained intact.

There were no reported injuries among the passengers or crew. The three crew members, consisting of a pilot and two flight assistants, are Turkish nationals and managed to escape safely. An unidentified prominent figure was also reportedly on board the charter flight and escaped unhurt.

The incident forced local authorities to suspend all flight operations at Misurata International Airport, which operates a single runway, until midnight on Monday to allow for investigations and the removal of the wreckage. Flight services are expected to resume once the runway is confirmed safe.