Both pilots of plane that crashed in fireball after veering off runway while landing at airport ‘were DRUNK’

TWO pilots who veered off an airport runway while landing were allegedly drunk at the time of the horror crash. The brand new private jet erupted into a huge fireball as it swerved off the tarmac in Libya on Monday. The plane veered off the runway before erupting into a huge fireball Credit: Jam Press Emergency services battled the blaze Credit: Jam Press Prosecutors now allege that both pilots were intoxicated during the botched landing. The Cessna Citation Latitude, a 2026-built aircraft, was touching down at Misrata International Airport before it caught fire. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Shocking images showed emergency services battling a huge inferno from the site of the flaming wreckage. There were three people on board – both pilots and one crew member – as it came into the Libyan airport from Istanbul, Turkey. Emergency services rushed to the scene on Monday Credit: Jam Press The jet was coming from Turkey when it crashed mid-landing Credit: Jam Press No injuries were reported. While the two pilots were quizzed by investigators, they were told about the alleged evidence of their intoxication. They have now been ordered into pre-trial detention. The pair have also been accused of neglecting aviation and general safety rules. Most read in The Sun Authorities claimed their actions posed a threat to themselves, the aircraft, the airport, its users and public safety. Meanwhile, the jet’s Turkey-based operator BKNJET Aviation Co. has disputed the claims. The company said: “No verified result or document indicating any such finding regarding alcohol has been received by us.” BKNJET also said reports the pilots had been arrested were not accurate. They instead claimed the two air employees were being questioned. The prosecution did not disclose the pilots’ nationalities, although Libyan media reported that the captain was German and the co-pilot Turkish. A female Turkish flight attendant was the only other person on board, with all three crew members surviving the crash. The aircraft had departed Istanbul Atatürk Airport without passengers and was travelling to Misrata to pick up VIP passengers. Investigators examined the wreckage, air traffic control data, weather reports and conditions at the time of landing. They also took evidence from technical staff involved in managing the landing. Flights at Misrata International Airport were temporarily suspended following the crash. The Public Prosecution said the investigation was continuing. Comment now