Flights were suspended at Libya’s Misrata Airport after a private jet veered off the runway. The plane, a Cessna Citation Latitude, was arriving from Istanbul on Monday, Sept. 14, when it crashed and caught fire. Earlier this month, another small Cessna plane crashed in San Diego.
The aftermath
Airport firefighters attended the scene and Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting teams rescued Turkish nationals: two pilots and one cabin crew member, who are reported to be in good condition. The flight was empty of passengers, on its way to Misrata to collect them. Local Libyan media reported that these passengers were intended to be three Libyan political figures.
The incident follows another Cessna crash that occurred on Sept. 8 in San Diego, which killed two people.
Tripoli’s Transport Ministry closed the airport’s airspace and suspended flights while it determined the cause of the accident. Misrata Airport is one of Libya’s main airports and has an annual passenger capacity of around 500,000 people and five ground buildings, according to Libya’s Airports Authority. It is located around 7km south of the city of Misrata, covering an area of 610 hectares.
Who did the jet belong to?
The Cessna Citation Latitude is a mid-size business jet with a capacity for nine passengers. Registered as TC-AKF, the plane is linked to Afken Holding, a Turkish infrastructure investment conglomerate, founded by Hamdi Akin. Akin is a prominent Turkish businessman with an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion, according to Forbes Turkey’s 2025 billionaires list. Afken Holding confirmed in a statement that the aircraft belongs to the group and is operated by BKNJET Aviation Co. Original reports suggested Akin was onboard the flight, however these were quickly debunked.
Although there has been no official confirmation of the cause of the accident, Gulf News reported that preliminary information suggests an engine malfunction forced the plane to make an emergency landing. Other reports suggest that the pilot entered the airport from the wrong direction. Misrata Airport is said to have resumed its operations at 10pm local time on Monday as the investigation continues.
What do you think cause the accident? Let us know in the comments below.
