Almaty Province | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew started the approach to Almaty Airport by night in below minima weather conditions. Despite the situation, the pilot continued the approach and let the aircraft pass below the glide. Suddenly, the airplane struck trees, banked right to an angle of 15° the crashed in flames in a snow covered field located 75 meters short of runway threshold. The wreckage was found 600 meters to the right of the extended centerline and the aircraft was destroyed upon impact. Three crew members and 64 passengers were killed while 39 other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

The crew decided to continue the approach below minima weather conditions by night. The pilot-in-command failed to take the decision to go around. Poor ATC assistance was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 near Taldykorgan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1962 at 1235 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-02168

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Alma-Ata – Taldykorgan – Kapal – Arasan – Kapal – Taldykorgan – Alma-Ata

MSN:

1 121 473 02

YOM:

1959

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2601

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Alma-Ata to Arasan and return with intermediate stops at Taldykorgan and Kapal. Few minutes after takeoff from Taldykorgan Airport, weather conditions worsened and the crew failed to return to the airport as instructed by ATC. In low visibility, he reduced his altitude to 1,100 meters when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Eskiulmes (1,504 meters high) located 30 km northeast of Taldykorgan. Both pilots were slightly injured while three passengers were seriously wounded. Three other passengers were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The crew failed to follow ATC instruction and to return to Taldygorgan Airport when the weather conditions deteriorated after departure. A contributing factor was the fact that the crew continued at an insufficient altitude in limited visibility.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-12 in Pervomaiski AFB: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1954 at 2055 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ilyushin II-12

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L1320

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Almaty – Karaganda – Moscow

MSN:

30 026

YOM:

1947

Flight number:

SU098

Location:

Pervomaiski AFB (Almaty)

Almaty Province

Country:

Kazakhstan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

4645

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Almaty Airport, while climbing to a height of 80 meters at a speed of 180 km/h, the left engine failed and caught fire. The captain decided to divert to the nearest Pervomaiski Airbase located 4,5 km from his position. On final approach, the aircraft stalled, hit a first building, several trees, two telegraph poles and eventually crashed on a second building. A stewardess was killed while 18 other occupants were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The left engine failed and caught fire shortly after takeoff due to the failure of the tenth cylinder, apparently due to poor maintenance on part of the company mechanics. Nevertheless, the techniques adopted by the pilot on short final were inappropriate, which contributed to the stall.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52 near Taldykorgan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L26

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Alma-Ata – Novossibirsk

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was returning to his base after all three BMW engines have been replaced by three Shvetsov ASh-62. While flying into severe weather conditions, the aircraft crashed into a mountain located near Taldykorgan. All four crew members were killed. The exact date of the occurrence remains unknown (someday in 1946) and the registration is not confirmed: CCCP-L26 or CCCP-L28.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m near Koksu: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1944 at 0715 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L40

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ferry

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Alma Ata – Semipalatinsk – Kuybyshev

MSN:

3325

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a ferry flight from Alma Ata to Kuybyshev with an intermediate stop in Semipalatinsk. En route, the pilot in command deviated from the prescribed flight path to the east in order to circumvent an area of poor weather and overflew high mountains. As he was unable to gain sufficient height, the three engine aircraft stalled and crashed at a height of some 2,700 meters into the steep wall of a gorge near a pass over the khrebet Dzhil-Dhuta mountain range (3,050 meters), about 15 km northwest of Koksu. All six occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The decision of the crew to modify their route to the east was wrong. It was preferable to fly to the west to avoid the mountain range, especially in poor weather conditions. It was reported that the navigator was not aware of the presence of mountains above the altitude of 3,000 meters, which was considered as a contributory factor. Also, deficiencies were pointed out with flight planification and the operations of the company.

Crash of a Tupolev G-2 near Baiserke: 26 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1941 at 1126 LT

Type of aircraft:

Tupolev ANT-6 (TB-3 & G-2)

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-L3043

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Almaty – Karaganda – Aktyubinsk – Kuybyshev – Kazan

MSN:

22 182

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2150

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Alma-Ata Airport at 1110LT on a special flight to Kazan with intermediate stops in Karaganda, Aktyubinsk and Kuybyshev. On board were high-ranking party and state officials of the Kazakh government. At the time of departure, weather conditions were poor with low clouds, turbulences, fog and severe icing. About sixteen minutes after takeoff, the captain decided to return to Alma-Ata Airport because of the weather. While completing a steep turn to the left at an altitude of 100-150 metres, he lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in a field located 6 km northwest of Dmitriyevka (now Baiserke), bursting into flames. Five crew members and 21 passengers were killed while eight other occupants were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The crew decided to takeoff in below-minima weather conditions with low clouds, fog, turbulences and severe icing.