Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 25 December 2012
Aircraft Type: Antonov An-72-100
Owner/operator: Kazakhstan Border Guards
Registration Number: UP-72859
Location: 21 km from Shymkent Airport (CIT) – ÿ Kazakhstan
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 27 / Occupants: 27
Component Affected: Barometric altimeter and altitude setting system.Barometric altimeter and altitude setting system.
Category: Accident
An Antonov 72 transport plane crashed near Shymkent Airport, Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 20 passengers and seven crew members. The aircraft, operated by the Kazakhstan Border Guards, experienced a series of malfunctions, including autopilot failure, radio altimeter failure, and a temporary altitude drop, all due to a critical error in setting the correct pressure for barometric altimeters. The flight encountered poor weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and limited visibility, during its descent towards Shymkent. The pilot made an error in setting the altitude, resulting in the plane striking a ravine, causing a significant impact.An Antonov 72 transport plane crashed near Shymkent Airport, Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 20 passengers and seven crew members. The aircraft, operated by the Kazakhstan Border Guards, experienced a series of malfunctions, including autopilot failure, radio altimeter failure, and a temporary altitude drop, all due to a critical error in setting the correct pressure for barometric altimeters. The flight encountered poor weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and limited visibility, during its descent towards Shymkent. The pilot made an error in setting the altitude, resulting in the plane striking a ravine, causing a significant impact.

Description

An Antonov 72 transport plane crashed some 20 km from Shymkent Airport (CIT), Kazakhstan. All 20 passengers and seven crew members were killed. The airplane was operated by the Kazakhstan Border Guards. Among those killed was acting director of National Security Committee’s Border Guard Service, Colonel Turganbek Stambekov. The airplane took off from Astana Airport (TSE) at 16:52 with destination Shymkent Airport (CIT). Shortly after takeoff the autopilot failed. The captain then decided to fly the plane manually. Two minutes and 40 seconds after takeoff the radio altimeter also failed. The flight was continued using barometric altimeters. Nineteen minutes into the flight there was a momentary failure of these altimeters as well, with the altitude dropping from 696 to -1375 metres. Three minutes later the altimeter again suffered a momentary spike, this time from 749 m to 2672 m. En route and during the descent towards Shymkent the flight encountered poor weather with heavy snowfall and limited visibility. During the approach to Shymkent, the captain failed to set the correct pressure for the barometric altimeters. The altitude indicated was therefore off by about 385 metres. The airplane struck the slope of a ravine 21 km short of the runway and broke up.

Source of Information

http://prokuror.gov.kz/rus/novosti/press-releasy/tekst-vystupleniya-oficialnogo-predstavitelya-generalnoy-prokuratury-3http://prokuror.gov.kz/rus/novosti/press-releasy/tekst-vystupleniya-oficialnogo-predstavitelya-generalnoy-prokuratury-3

Primary Cause

Pilot error in setting the correct pressure for barometric altimeters during descent.Pilot error in setting the correct pressure for barometric altimeters during descent.

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