Desmond Boomer
A head and shoulders picture of Desmond Boomer
Desmond was a 39 year old Belfast born, engineer working in the Libyan oil fields
Matthew Aquilina
A head and shoulders picture of Matthew Aquilina
Matthew was a 22 year old Maltese national returning to Malta
Michael Williams
A picture of Michael Williams
Michael was a 49 year old English born engineer and manager of rock band 'The Characters'
Tadeusz Gorney
Tadeusz Gorney - no picture is available of Tadeusz
Tadeusz was a 48 year Polish national working in the Libyan oil fields
Philip Farrugia
Philip Farrugia - no picture is available of Tadeusz
Philp was a 43 year old Maltese national returning to Malta
Carmel Bartolo
A head and shoulders picture of Carmel Bartolo
Carmel was a 47 year Maltese national and the pilot of flight 9H-ABU

FOI – Libyan Civil Aviation Authority – Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Tripoli)

26 Feb 2026 | FOI, Search

Mark Boomer
Feb 26, 2026, 6:01 PM
to info@caa.gov.ly

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would be grateful if this request could be forwarded to the appropriate department, such as the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Tripoli), if applicable.

I am writing to request access to any historical records held by the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority or the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC Tripoli) relating to a distress signal reported on 3 December 1995 in the area east of Tripoli.

The incident concerns the disappearance of a Piper Lance aircraft, registration 9H‑ABU, which was flying from Djerba, Tunisia to Malta on 3 December 1995 with six men on board: Carmelo Bartolo, Matthew Aquilina, Philip Farrugia, Desmond Boomer, Michael Williams, and Tadeusz Gorny.

During the international search effort, a distress transmission was reported as having originated from an area east of Tripoli, possibly near a disused airfield, and was relayed internationally through the Cospas‑Sarsat satellite system. This signal was described at the time as VHF‑2121‑5.

I respectfully request any of the following records, if they exist in your archives:

  • Any SAR or aviation incident reports from 3 December 1995 relating to unidentified distress signals in Libyan airspace or territorial waters
  • Any records of radio transmissions, VHF monitoring logs, or distress‑signal investigations associated with the identifier VHF‑2121‑5 or any similar signal received on that date
  • Any communications between Libyan authorities and foreign SAR agencies (including Malta RCC, Tunisia, France/Toulouse MCC, NOAA, or the United States Coast Guard) concerning this incident
  • Any internal reports, notes, or summaries relating to the possible detection of a distress signal east of Tripoli on or around 3 December 1995

I am happy to receive all material in digital format.

This request is made for the purpose of reconstructing the events surrounding the loss of the aircraft and the six men on board, one of whom was my brother, Desmond Boomer.

If there is a specific department, archive office, or formal process for requesting historical aviation or SAR records, I would be grateful for your guidance.

Thank you for your assistance.

Name: Mark Boomer
Email: mark.boomer@9habu.com
Address: 21 The Moorings BT30 9US, Northern Ireland
Telephone: +44 (0)7740 587269