In July 2014 fighting broke out in the area of Tripoli International Airport, Libya. Anti-government and pro-government militias were engaged in fighting, using among others anti-aircraft guns and rocket propelled grenades.
As a result, Tripoli Airport was closed for traffic on July 13, 2014. In the days and weeks after the closure, many aircraft were damaged as result of the fighting. Using satellite imagery of the airport, made on July 25, and photos from the airport, the Aviation Safety Network compiled a list of damaged aircraft.
registration | type | operator | damage |
---|---|---|---|
5A-… | Ilyushin 76 | Libyan Air Cargo | Struck by RPG fire; consumed by fire (27 July 2014) |
5A-DCM | Dassault Falcon 50 | Libyan Government | Unknown damage; rebels climbed on the fuselage and wings (23 August 2014) |
5A-DMH | B737-800 | Buraq | Unknown damage |
5A-DNG | Ilyushin 76 | Libyan Air Cargo | Struck by RPG fire; consumed by fire (16 July 2014). |
5A-DTC | Agusta A109E | Libya Border Patrol | Unknown damage (14 July 2014). |
5A-DTI | Agusta A109E | Libya Border Patrol | Destroyed after rocket attack (14 July 2014) |
5A-DTP | AW139 | Libyan Police | Sustained damage during a rocket attack (14 July 2014) |
5A-FLB | Avro RJ100 | Air Libya | Unknown damage |
5A-LA. | CRJ-900 | Libyan Airlines | Unknown damage |
5A-LAA | CRJ-900 | Libyan Airlines | Damage to nose section; right hand side struck by fire or shrapnel (14 July 2014). |
5A-LAD ? | CRJ-900 | Libyan Airlines | Struck by shelling above left hand forward passenger door. |
5A-LAH | A320 | Libyan Airlines | Bullet holes below registration mark on r/h rear fuselage. |
5A-LAI | A320 | Libyan Airlines | Tail section ripped off after being struck by shelling (27 July 2014) |
5A-LAJ | A320 | Libyan Airlines | Left hand overwing escape slide deployed. |
5A-LAL | CRJ-900 | Libyan Airlines | Hit by shelling; burnt out (20 July 2014) |
5A-LAN | CRJ-900 | Libyan Airlines | Unknown damage; graffiti on fuselage. |
5A-LAS | A330-200 | Libyan Airlines | R/h fuselage above wing hit by RPG (15 July 2014) and right hand wing tip severed. |
5A-ONC | A319 | Afriqiyah | Righ hand rear lower fuselage pierced by shrapnel. |
5A-ONF | A330-200 | Afriqiyah | Burnt out after being struch by RPG or similar (20 July 2014). |
5A-ONH | A330-200 | Afriqiyah | Light bullet damage to nose section. |
5A-ONI | A319 | Afriqiyah | Right hand forward cargo door ruptures due to shrapnel (14 July 2014) |
5A-ONM | A320 | Afriqiyah | Right hand rear fuselage hit by shrapnel (14 July 2014) |
5A-ONN | A320 | Afriqiyah | Unknown damage. |
5A-ONP | A330-200 | Afriqiyah | Unknown damage. |
5A-WAC | B737-400 | Buraq | Damaged by bullets and shrapnel; escaped to Malta 18 July 2014. |
5A-WAD | B737-500 | Buraq | Unknown damage |
9H-AEY | DHC-8-300 | Medavia | Hit by shrapnel inside hangar (14 July 2014) |
TS-INN | A320 | Libyan Airlines | Right hand fuselage between windows pierced by shrapnel (14 July 2014). |
Photos circulating online show a CRJ-900 with debris or shell impact damage above the right hand forward door. Likely this is 5A-LAD which had similar damage on the left hand side.
Either 5A-ONF or 5A-ONP must have suffered a punctured fuel tank beneath the left hand wing, according to photographic evidence. It was on July 13 while parked at position 5-1 and later (before July 25) towed to a position on Apron 1.
Aircraft stored or withdrawn from use at the time of the fighting
5A-… | Iluyshin 76 | Libyan Air Cargo ? | Struck by RPG fire and was consumed by fire (before 25 July 2014). |
5A-… | Iluyshin 76 | Libyan Air Cargo ? | Struck by RPG fire; forward fuselage consumed by fire. |
5A-DBZ | Lockheed JetStar | Libyan Government | Consumed by fire. (14 July 2014). |
5A-DMN/O/P | Boeing 727 | Buraq | Consumed by fire. (14 July 2014). |
5A-DTG/H | Fokker F-28 | Libyan Arab Airlines | Consumed by fire. (before 25 July 2014). |
5A-ONK | Airbus A320 | Afriqiyah Airways | Parked due to severe damage during fighting on August 25, 2011. Consumed by fire between July 25 and August 23, 2014 after being hit by RPG(?) fire. |