What happened
On February 3, 2005, a Boeing 737-242, registered as EX-037, was performing a scheduled flight from Herat to Kabul under the operation of Phoenix Aviation. While cruising at flight level 270, the crew contacted Bagram Radar Approach Control to request descent and landing instructions. At approximately 10:43 UTC, the controller provided the flight with weather updates, noting visibility of 2 kilometers due to snow and a broken ceiling of 2,200 feet.
As the aircraft approached the Kabul VOR, the controller instructed the crew to cross the VOR at or above flight level 130 and cleared them for a VOR/DME approach to runway 29. Although the crew reported being at flight level 130 at 10:48 UTC, the aircraft failed to maintain the required altitude during the approach. Following a final transmission where the crew acknowledged instructions to report a procedure turn, radar contact was lost at 10:50 UTC.
Search efforts were initially obstructed by a heavy snowstorm in the area. Three days later, an ISAF helicopter located the wreckage on the summit of Mt Shapiri Ghar, approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Kabul International Airport, at an altitude of 9,960 feet. The impact with the terrain destroyed the aircraft, and all 105 individuals on board, including 97 passengers and 8 crew members, sustained fatal injuries.
Findings
- The aircraft failed to level off at the assigned flight level of 130 during the approach.
- Severe weather conditions, including snow and low visibility, hindered the initial search operations.