On June 17, 1993, an Antonov AN-26 (registration EY-26035) operated by Tajikistan Airlines - Tajik Air was involved in an aviation accident near Choporti, Georgia in flight. 33 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of control in flight following atmospheric turbulence in a thunderstorm area. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft en route from Batumi to Baku crashed near Choporti after encountering thunderstorms and severe turbulence at cruise altitude. All 33 occupants died.
Accident Overview
The aircraft was performing a scheduled flight from Batumi to Baku. During the cruise phase at an assigned altitude of 5,100 meters, the flight crew encountered adverse weather conditions. These conditions included thunderstorm activity and severe turbulence. Shortly after the onset of these conditions, the aircraft stalled. Following the stall, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. The descent continued until the aircraft crashed into the slope of a mountain near the settlement of Choporti. The mountain at the crash site has an elevation of 690 meters. Upon impact, the aircraft disintegrated. All 33 individuals on board—passengers and crew—were killed.
Probable Cause
According to the official accident investigation, the probable cause was determined to be loss of control in flight following atmospheric turbulence in a thunderstorm area.