What happened
During a scheduled transport mission from Chardzhou to Mary, a cargo aircraft was carrying 1,200 kg of sulfuric acid, consisting of 40 bottles. Approximately 18 minutes into the flight, while maintaining an altitude of 900 meters, smoke began filling the cabin and a fire developed.
The crew attempted to manage the emergency, with the copilot making an effort to suppress the flames; however, these efforts failed to contain the fire. In response to the situation, the captain descended to a lower altitude to perform an emergency landing. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck a small dune and crashed near Karaul-Kuyu, south of Chardzhou. The impact was followed by a severe post-crash fire that completely destroyed the plane.
Both pilots sustained serious burn injuries during the accident. While both crew members survived the initial impact, the copilot passed away from his injuries two days after the event.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the improper packaging of the sulfuric acid cargo led to its ignition during flight. Furthermore, it was concluded that the flight's dispatch process failed to adhere to established protocols regarding the transportation of dangerous goods.