Country
Kazakhstan
code

Almaty Province

Crash of an Antonov AN-12 in Almaty: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1990
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-12
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Tashkent - Almaty
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
On final approach to Almaty Airport, the crew decided to initiate a go-around for unknown reasons when the aircraft lost height and crashed. All eight occupants were killed. There were low clouds and rain falls at the time of the accident.

Crash of an Antonov AN-26 near Alma-Ata: 9 killed

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1987 at 1908 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-26
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-26007
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Biisk - Alma-Ata - Leninabad
MSN:
99 01
YOM:
1980
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Biisk to Alma-Ata, carrying four passengers (loadmaster), five crew members and a load of 3,600 kilos of various goods. About 70 km from the destination, the crew was cleared to descend from 6,000 to 3,600 meters. At this time, weather conditions were marginal with limited visibility and low ceiling. During the descent, several radios contacts were made between ATC and pilots but most of them were inaudible and the crew continued the descent without knowing his exact position and without any visual contact with ground obstacles. At 1908LT, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain (2,370 meters high) located 56 km east of Alma-Ata Airport. The wreckage was found 22 meters below the summit and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain. The following contributing factors were reported:
- The flying crew failed to follow ATC instructions,
- Poor radio communication quality during the last two minutes prior to the accident, probably due to the mountain range,
- Lack of ATC assistance.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Taldykorgan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 1, 1985
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-70771
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
1G132-26
YOM:
1971
Location:
Taldykorgan
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route, weather conditions worsened with low ceiling and rain showers. The crew decided to return to his departure point but the aircraft deviated from the prescribed route. While cruising under VFR mode in IMC conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain, bursting into flames. All three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew continued to fly under VFR mode in IMC conditions.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-134A near Almaty: 90 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1983 at 2017 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-134
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-65129
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Kazan - Chelyabinsk - Alma-Ata
MSN:
60630
YOM:
1978
Flight number:
SU5463
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
84
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
90
Aircraft flight hours:
9976
Aircraft flight cycles:
6515
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Chelyabinsk at an altitude of 10,200 meters, the crew was cleared to initiate the approach to Alma-Ata Airport in view of a landing on runway 05. By night, the crew was instructed to initiate a left turn and to descend to an altitude of 600 meters after being informed of an II-62 approaching eight km right of their position. As the aircraft was too low, the GPWS warning sounded in the cockpit. For unknown reasons, the crew failed to react promptly and initiated a corrective maneuver 23 seconds later. The aircraft nosed up to an angle of 14° then turned left to an angle of 11-12° when it struck two seconds later the slope of Mt Dolan (690 meters high) located about 36 km west of Almaty Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 90 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 24 meters below the summit.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew failed to prepare the approach maneuver according to published procedures. ATC failed to assist the crew properly and transmitted wrong instructions, causing the airplane to descent prematurely to the unsafe altitude of 600 meters and outside the approach diagram. The crew failed to be proactive when the GPWS alarm sounded and a corrective action was taken too late. It was also reported that the phraseology used by the pilots was non standard.

Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2 near Antonovka: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1983 at 1743 LT
Type of aircraft:
PZL-Mielec AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-03483
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Spraying (Agricultural)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
1G48-15
YOM:
1964
Location:
Antonovka
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The spraying rotations all along the day were completed in difficult conditions as the captain and the (illegal) passenger were intoxicated. The captain was also angry and fighting the copilot. After several low passes, while at an altitude of 200 meters, the airplane entered a left turn then banked to an angle of 60° and crashed on the top of a hill (718 meters high). The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The captain was intoxicated at the time of the accident and had a blood alcohol level of 3.3 ‰. The pilot had not consumed alcohol but he was passive and was unable to face a critical situation.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-154B-2 in Almaty: 166 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1980 at 0039 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-154
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-85355
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Almaty - Rostov-on-Don - Simferopol
MSN:
79A355
YOM:
1979
Flight number:
SU4225
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
156
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
166
Aircraft flight hours:
2438
Aircraft flight cycles:
1124
Circumstances:
Following a night takeoff from Almaty Airport, while climbing to a height of 120-150 meters, at a speed of 355 km/h, the airplane entered an area of very high outside temperatures (between +30 and +40° C.). High winds and downdrafts were encountered as well. The airplane nosed down then descended and struck the ground at a speed of 400 km/h some 3,996 meters from the end of the runway. It struck a farm, exploded and crashed. None of the 166 occupants survived the crash and nine people on the ground were injured, three seriously. Debris scattered on 840 meters long and 130 meters wide.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the impact on the aircraft of an unpredictable, rarely encountered intense atmospheric turbulences area with downdrafts up to 14 meters per second (50 km/h) and a tailwind up to 20 meters per second (72 km/h). The following contributing factors were reported:
- The airplane was operated with a total weight close to the maximum allowable for those conditions,
- The high altitude of the airport,
- A high OAT.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24 in Alma-Ata

Date & Time: May 19, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46734
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
3 73 006 03
YOM:
1963
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing at Alma-Ata Airport, the landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid on its belly and came to rest. There were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Failure of the equipment upon landing for unknown reasons. The aircraft weight upon landing was within acceptable limits and the touchdown was properly completed by the crew.

Crash of a Tupolev TU-104A in Almaty: 90 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1977 at 1814 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev TU-104
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-42369
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Novossibirsk – Almaty
MSN:
8 66 012 03
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
SU3843
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
82
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
90
Aircraft flight hours:
27189
Aircraft flight cycles:
12819
Circumstances:
On final approach to Almaty Airport runway 23, while at an altitude of 400 metres, the left engine caught fire. An explosion occurred and the airplane descended at a speed of 150-190 km/h and crashed in flames in a snow covered field located 3,280 metres short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all 90 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of a fuel line on the left engine caused the fuel to leak and to ignite while contacting hot air coming from the heating system due to a seal failure. This also resulted in a high carbon monoxide that spread in the cabin and the cockpit. Also, a fuel pump broke away.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24 in Almaty: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1969 at 0637 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-24
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-46751
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Alma-Ata - Karaganda
MSN:
47300905
YOM:
1963
Flight number:
SU2305
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
9607
Aircraft flight cycles:
7577
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Alma-Ata Airport, while climbing to a height of 80 meters, the airplane banked right, lost height and crashed in flames onto houses located in the village of Krasnoye Polye, near the airport. Few houses were destroyed as well as the aircraft. A crew member and three passengers were killed while 27 other occupants were injured. Fortunately, there were no casualties on the ground.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the right engine lost power during initial climb when the gear were retracted. The loss of speed caused the aircraft to stall.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18B in Almaty: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1966 at 1036 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-18
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-75665
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Almaty – Semipalatinsk – Moscow
MSN:
188 0007 04
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
SU019X
Location:
Almaty
Almaty Province
Country:
Kazakhstan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
60
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
8407
Aircraft flight cycles:
4440
Circumstances:
During take-off roll in poor weather conditions, the engine number 3 failed (probably due to the ingestion of wet snow). The aircraft veered off the snow covered runway to the right after a roll of 550 meters, got briefly airborne with a high angle of attack until the tail struck a 70 cm high mound. Out of control, the aircraft crashed in flames onto a hillside located 1,400 meters further on, by a river. Two passengers and a crew member were killed while all 65 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the engine number three during the takeoff roll due to a massive ingestion of wet snow that was thrown out from the right main gear.
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