34 fatalities

2007-01-09: Antonov AN-26 (ER-26068) — Aeriantur-M — Balad, Iraq

Balad, IraqLanding (descent or approach)

On January 9, 2007, an Antonov AN-26 (registration ER-26068) operated by Aeriantur-M was involved in an aviation accident near Balad, Iraq during landing or approach. 34 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The investigation could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the cause because the flight data recorder was not installed on the aircraft. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781198368Data APIEditorial standards

A charter flight transporting construction workers crashed short of the runway during a second approach attempt due to heavy fog.

What happened

A charter flight operated for the Turkish firm Kulak was traveling from Adana Airport, Turkey, to Balel Air Base, located approximately 70 km north of Baghdad. The aircraft was transporting 30 personnel from Moldova, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine as part of a reconstruction project mission.

The flight departed Adana at 06:00 local time with an expected flight duration of 90 minutes. During the approach phase, the crew encountered significant visibility issues caused by dense fog. After being unable to identify the runway, the pilot executed a go-around procedure.

During a subsequent attempt to land, the aircraft descended below the required altitude and struck the ground 2.5 km before reaching the runway. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire. The accident resulted in 34 fatalities and one serious injury among the occupants of the aircraft type.

Findings

Investigators were unable to establish the precise location of the aircraft during its final descent or determine the exact cause of the crash. This lack of definitive information was due to the fact that the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was missing from the aircraft at the time of the accident.

Probable cause

The investigation could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the cause because the flight data recorder was not installed on the aircraft.