Incident Details
During the leg from Qal'ai Khumb to Tavildara, part of a flight from Qal'ai Khumb to Dushanbe, the crew encountered weather conditions below the prescribed minima. The summits in the area were covered by clouds. The aircraft deviated from the required flight path to the west by 8 kilometers and subsequently crashed into a snow-covered slope of the Darwaz Mountain range. The accident site was about 9 kilometers south-southwest of Sagirdasht in Gorny Badakhshan.
Crew and Passengers
Three pilots were on board, including a check pilot. Ten passengers were also aboard. Two of the three pilots and nine of the ten passengers were killed. The two survivors suffered serious injuries.
Wreckage Discovery and Rescue
The wreckage of the aircraft was found on March 31, 1969. The two survivors were evacuated from the remote crash site three days later, on April 2, 1969.
Probable Cause
The official investigation concluded that the probable cause was the crew's decision to continue the flight in below-minima weather, which was a violation of published procedures. Contributing factors included inadequate support from the meteorological services and a lack of assistance from air traffic control.