Termez

Following an uneventful flight from Termez, the crew started the descent to Tashkent-Yuzhny Airport by night and marginal weather conditions. The visibility was limited due to foggy conditions with an RVR between 600 and 900 metres for runway 08L. The captain continued the approach with an excessive rate of descent, causing the aircraft to pass below the MDA without any visual contact with the ground. At an altitude of 165-170 metres, the captain positioned the airplane in a flat attitude then continued the descent at a distance of 2 km from the runway threshold, but this time with an insufficient rate of descent. The aircraft passed over the runway threshold at a height of about 30-40 metres and flew over the runway for a distance of 3,3 km. The captain established a visual contact with the runway lights, elected to land but failed to realize he was in fact approaching the end of the runway which is 4 km long. He reduced both engines power to idle, activated the thrust reversers when he realized his mistake and attempted a go-around. The aircraft collided with a 2 metres high concrete wall located 260 metres past the runway end, lost its right wing and crashed in a drainage ditch located along the perimeter fence, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 37 occupants were killed, among them Richard Conroy, special UNO representative in Uzbekistan.

While descending to Mazari Sharif, the crew was informed by ATC that a landing was impossible due to foggy conditions reducing visibility below minimums. The crew was instructed to divert to Termez Airport, south of Uzbekistan. On approach, all four engines failed due to fuel exhaustion and the crew attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a field located few km from the airport and came to rest. All 119 occupants were rescued, among them five were injured. The aircraft was written off.

While approaching Kabul, the captain deviated from the approach path and failed to initiate a go-around despite he was alerted by other crew members. The aircraft was too high on the glide and landed 2,300 meters pas the runway threshold. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, it overran by 660 meters, hit obstacles and suffered substantial damage. The navigator was killed while all five other occupants were injured.

The crew was performing a crop spraying mission when he lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a field. Both occupants were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

At 0927LT, while cruising at an altitude of 3,600 meters, the radio operator informed ATC he was cruising under VFR and spotted Derbent. A minute later, while in clouds, the airplane struck the southeast slope of Mt Kushtang located about 27 km northeast of Boysun. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 30 occupants was found. All operations were abandoned one month later. The accident was officially announced by the Soviet Authorities on 19JAN1960. On 02JUN1960, alpinists found the wreckage of the airplane in a rocky and craggy area at an altitude of 3,501 meters. Among the passengers were two Chinese and three Germans, the rest of the passengers being Soviet soldiers and members of their families.