What happened
During a mission traveling from Dushanbe to Murghob, an aircraft supporting a geological survey encountered a fire while navigating the Murghob river gorge. The incident occurred as the plane was transiting through the mountainous terrain.
In response to the fire, the crew initiated an emergency descent to perform a forced landing. The intended landing site was located approximately 60 km west of Murghob, near where the Zapadny Pshart and Murghob rivers meet. However, during the execution of a sharp left-hand turn, the aircraft struck the northern side of the gorge, resulting in a crash.
The accident resulted in 6 fatalities, as both pilots and all 4 passengers on board perished. Search teams located the wreckage of the plane two days after the impact occurred.
Findings
Investigations into the incident determined that an accidental spill of acetone within the cabin was the primary driver of the emergency. This chemical leak led to the in-flight fire that necessitated the aborted landing attempt.