Accident Overview
On an unspecified date, a twin-engine aircraft diverted to Yevlakh Airport, landing at 0916 local time. The aircraft departed Yevlakh Airport at 1008 local time. Shortly after takeoff, weather conditions deteriorated, with a cloud layer descending to an altitude of 500 meters. The crew was cleared to maintain a minimum altitude of 1,100 meters but, for unknown reasons, descended to 700 meters in marginal weather conditions.
Impact Sequence
Fourteen minutes after departure, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain (821 meters high) located 2 kilometers northwest of the village of Shirinbulak. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. All 23 occupants were killed.
Official Findings
The probable cause, as determined by the investigation, was that the aircraft was off course by five kilometers to the right at the time of the accident, probably due to a navigation error on the part of the flying crew, who continued the flight under VFR mode in IMC conditions.