Incident
An aircraft on return to Kabul from a reconnaissance mission south of the Panjshir Valley was struck by a "Strela" shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile (SAM) approximately 25 km north of Kabul. The left engine caught fire.
Accident Sequence
Four of the six crew members were able to bail out of the burning aircraft. Both pilots remained on board and attempted to land the aircraft at Bagram Air Force Base. The first approach was abandoned. During the second landing attempt, an aileron linkage was destroyed by the fire, causing the aircraft to go out of control. The aircraft subsequently crashed in flames, killing both pilots.
Probable Cause
According to official findings, the accident was caused by the aircraft being shot down by a surface-to-air missile.