Aircraft Collision with Mountain South of Salang Pass (YA-PIS)

Incident Overview and Flight Details A twin-engine aircraft departed Kunduz Airport at 0900 local time, bound for Kabul. The flight carried 38 passengers and six crew members, including six foreign nationals. ## Crash Circumstances During the flight, the aircraft encountered marginal weather conditions with limited visibility caused by fog. It subsequently struck the slope of a mountain located south of the Salang Pass. The aircraft disintegrated upon impact, resulting in the deaths of all 44 occupants. ## Search and Recovery The wreckage was located three days after the accident by the crew of an ISAF helicopter. The site was a snow-covered area situated at an altitude of 4,270 meters. ## Official Findings The official investigation determined that the probable cause was controlled flight into terrain. The crew continued the descent despite air traffic control instructions to maintain their actual altitude. Contributing factors included poor visibility due to heavy fog and the crew's failure to react to the ground proximity warning system alarm. This non-reaction was attributed to a misunderstanding, potentially caused by language issues or previous false alerts.