What happened
During a ferry flight from Dubai to Tashkent, an aircraft was conducting a scheduled fuel stop in Kerman. The flight, which was the aircraft's first commercial operation, was carrying 14 crew members and three passengers. While positioned in a holding pattern, the crew provided Air Traffic Control with inaccurate position reports. During this period, the aircraft drifted 47 km north of its assigned holding track.
Following an instruction to descend from 8,200 metres to 5,200 metres for runway 34, the crew navigated in the opposite direction of the intended path under conditions of limited visibility. As the aircraft passed over the airfield, the descent continued from 3,300 metres, but the crew failed to execute a standard turn. This resulted in a deviation of 43.5 km south of the airport, with the aircraft climbing toward mountain terrain up to 4,100 metres.
Four minutes later, while attempting a left turn to rejoin the approach at an unsafe altitude, the cockpit radio altimeter triggered an alert. At a speed of approximately 385 km/h, the aircraft struck Mt Jupar, which has an elevation of 3,400 metres, located roughly 37 km southeast of the airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and all 17 occupants were killed.
Findings
- The crew provided conflicting positional information to Air Traffic Control.
- The crew failed to follow the prescribed flight track and standard approach procedures, leading to significant deviations from the assigned route.