2012 Kazakhstan Antonov An-72 crash

2012 Kazakhstan Antonov An-72 crash

UP-72859, the aircraft involved, photographed a month before the accident
Accident
Date	25 December 2012 (2012-12-25)
Summary	Crashed on descent short of runway in bad weather
Site	Shymkent, Kazakhstan 42.500°N 69.833°E / 42.500; 69.833
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Antonov An-72-100
Operator	Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Registration	UP-72859
Flight origin	Astana International Airport, Astana, Kazakhstan
Destination	Shymkent International Airport, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Occupants	27
Passengers	20
Crew	7
Fatalities	27
Survivors	0

On 25 December 2012, an Antonov An-72 military transport aircraft operated by the Kazakh Armed Forces crashed about 20 km (12 mi) from the city of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, where the aircraft was preparing to land. All 27 people on board died in the crash.

History of the flight

The aircraft had been flying from Kazakhstan's capital of Astana to Shymkent, and was carrying seven crew and 20 members of the Kazakh border patrol, including its leader, the acting director of the Kazakhstan Border Guard Service, Colonel Turganbek Stambekov.

Accident

The accident occurred at about 19:00 local time (1300 UTC) as the aircraft was descending to land. According to local media, the aircraft had been flying at an altitude around 800 m (2,600 ft), when it suddenly crashed to the ground. Emergency crews were dispatched from Shymkent in response. However, the head of the local emergency services department stated, "the plane was destroyed by fire. Only fragments [were] left." Kazakhstan's National Security Committee issued a statement confirming that all 27 people on board had died in the crash, and also said that an investigation into the incident has begun.

Investigation

The investigation commission found out that failure of the autopilot and radio altimeter combined with poor visibility, and the pilot failing to follow instruction to use the barometric altimeter caused the crash.