What happened
On 24 August 2008, an Itek Air flight, identified as IRC 6895, was performing a scheduled service from Bishkek to Tehran. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-200 with registration EX-009, was carrying 85 passengers and a crew consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot, and three cabin crew members. The passenger manifest included a maintenance engineer and an official from Iran Aseman Airlines.
After reaching an altitude of roughly 3,000 meters, the flight crew identified a malfunction within the aircraft's pressurization system. Following this discovery, the crew notified Air Traffic Control of their intention to abort the flight and return to the departure airport. During the descent phase, while attempting a visual approach to the runway, the aircraft struck the ground. The impact caused significant structural damage and ignited a fire.
Out of the total number of people on board, 64 passengers lost their lives. One individual survived the initial impact but succumbed to severe burn injuries and subsequent pneumonia in a Moscow medical facility several months later.
Findings
Prior to departure, the crew had undergone medical evaluations at Manas Airport and reported no health concerns. The flight was prepared with a takeoff weight of 48,371 kg and a fuel load of 12,000 kg, with the center of gravity positioned within approved operational limits. Weather conditions at the departure, destination, and alternate airports were reported as favorable. The primary factor leading to the emergency return was a pressurization system fault.