| |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 May 2010 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error and ATC error in bad weather |
| Site | Shakardara District, 20 kilometres (12 mi; 11 nmi) from Kabul International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan 35°18′13″N 69°3′15″E / 35.30361°N 69.05417°E / 35.30361; 69.05417 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Antonov An-24 |
| Operator | Pamir Airways |
| Registration | YA-PIS |
| Flight origin | Kunduz Airport, Kunduz |
| Destination | Kabul International Airport, Kabul |
| Occupants | 44 |
| Passengers | 39 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 44 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Pamir Airways Flight 112 was a scheduled passenger flight from Kunduz Airport, KunduztoKabul International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. On 17 May 2010, the flight operated by an Antonov An-24 crashed into terrain shortly before it was scheduled to land in Kabul, killing all 39 passengers and 5 crew.[1]
The aircraft involved was an Antonov An-24, manufacturer's serial number (MSN) 27307903, registration YA-PIS. The aircraft first flew in 1972 and had been bought by Pamir Airways in February 2010, having spent some time in storage in Bulgaria.[2][3]
Flight 112 departed Kunduz at 8:30 am local time (UTC+04:30) and all contact with the flight, including on radar, was lost 10 minutes later.[3][4] Reports stated that the plane crashed in Salang Pass, 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Kabul International Airport,[4][5][6] at a speed of approximately 400 kilometres per hour (220 kn; 250 mph).[7] When eventually located, the wreckage was only 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Kabul.[8] The weather conditions were reported as poor, with a senior military commander describing the weather as "...very bad. It is snowing. There is flooding."[9][10]
An inquest in the United Kingdom stated that the accident report determined that the cause of the accident was the failure of the captain to maintain adequate clearance from terrain. The crew contacted air traffic control to ask for permission to descend. Air traffic control denied this request, however the crew decided to descend regardless. Air traffic control also did not warn the crew they were descending too quickly and into danger. Additionally, the crew misunderstood a ground proximity warning system alert, either due to language problems or because of previous false alerts.[11]
It was reported that the Afghan government had requested assistance from the NATO. The organisation sent search planes to the last known position of the aircraft, but they were forced to turn back four miles from the believed crash site due to bad weather. The colonel in charge of the southern stretch of the pass said that "the only way they can search is on foot. The helicopters can't get in."[10] The search for the aircraft resumed on the morning of 18 May, and the "crash area" was located later that day, according to Yalda Natiq, the transport ministry's head of communications.[12][13]
Initial reports that the wreckage of the aircraft had been located late on Tuesday evening (18 May) proved to be false, and the search continued late on Wednesday 19 May. Afghan police, local people and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopters were involved in the search. The rugged, mountainous terrain, fog and snow again hampered the search.[14] On 20 May, it was announced that the tail section of the aircraft had been spotted.[15]
On 21 May, the wreckage was reached by rescuers. "Parts of the crashed plane are lying in front of me. There are a number of bodies scattered around here," acting transport and civil aviation minister Mohammadullah Batash reported by telephone from the crash site, which is 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Kabul. It had been thought that the Antonov 24 plane came down around 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of the capital.『It is too soon to say that no one has survived. But so far we cannot see anyone alive and the situation here is extreme – cold, snow, wind』he said. ISAF said the crash site was located at an altitude of approximately 13,500 feet (4,100 m) in the Shakardara District of Kabul province.[8]
There were a number of Afghan nationals aboard the aircraft. The BBC reported that six foreigners, including three Britons, were also on board.[10] One American passenger was reported by a State Department source.[16] On 21 May, chief aviation investigator Ghulam Farooq reported an unknown number of nationals from Australia, Pakistan and Tajikistan were also among the eight foreign passengers aboard the plane.[17] It was reported that up to three Australians may have been on board. As of 22 May, the report remains unconfirmed.[18]
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghan | ? | ? | 33 |
| British | 3 | – | 3 |
| Turkish | 2 | – | 2 |
| Tajikistani | ? | ? | 3 |
| American | 2 | – | 2 |
| Pakistani | 1 | – | 1 |
| Total | 39 | 5 | 44 |
|
Aviation accidents and incidents in 2010 (2010)
| |
|---|---|
Jan 2 Jan 24 Jan 25 Feb 18 Mar 22 Apr 7 Apr 10 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 13 May 12 May 17 May 22 Jun 19 Air Service Berlin Douglas C-47 Jun 20 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 28 Jul 31 Aug 3 Aug 9 Aug 16 Aug 24 Aug 24 Aug 25 Sep 3 Sep 4 Sep 7 Sep 13 Oct 6 Oct 12 Transafrik International Flight 662 Oct 29 Transatlantic aircraft bomb plot Nov 4 Nov 4 Nov 5 Nov 11 Nov 28 Dec 4 Dec 15 | |
|
Aviation accidents and incidents in Afghanistan
| |
|---|---|
| |
See also: List of aviation accidents and incidents in the war in Afghanistan, List of Soviet aircraft losses during the Soviet–Afghan War |
