Aviation News – A Cessna 680A Citation Latitude business jet operated by Bikini Jet Charter was completely destroyed by fire following a severe runway excursion during landing at Misrata Airport in Libya. The primary flight crew managed to evacuate the aircraft safely after emergency crews rushed to extinguish the post-impact flames.
The accident occurred as the Turkish-registered aircraft, carrying the tail number TC-AKF, touched down on runway 15 at Misrata Airport. During the landing roll, the midsize jet veered left and exited the paved surface approximately 1,400 meters past the runway threshold. The flight crew attempted to steer the aircraft back toward the runway, crossing the shoulder roughly 500 meters further along before the landing gear failed and a severe post-crash fire consumed the airframe.
Emergency response teams stationed at Misrata Airport rapidly deployed to the crash site to extinguish the intense fire. Investigators from local civil aviation authorities began documenting the wreckage path, runway marks, and environmental conditions immediately following the accident to determine the root cause of the directional control loss. Authorities temporarily suspended flight operations across the facility as emergency services worked to clear debris and secure the airfield.
Modern business jets like the Cessna 680A Citation Latitude rely on advanced anti-skid braking systems, precise nose-wheel steering, and aerodynamic drag devices to decelerate safely within standard landing distances. When an aircraft departs a paved runway onto unpaved terrain at high speeds, severe structural stress can compromise fuel lines, triggering rapid friction-ignited fires that cause total hull destruction.
