Ambulance flight crash in Tajikistan due to fuel exhaustion (RA-09011)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence An airplane chartered by Gazpromavia departed U-Tapao Airport, Thailand, in the early morning for an ambulance flight to Moscow-Zhukovsky Airport. The aircraft carried four passengers and two crew members. The flight plan included a first fuel stop in Gaya, Bihar, and a second fuel stop scheduled in Tashkent. About three hours and 45 minutes into the flight, while cruising at FL380 over the Afghan mountains, the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Kulyab in southeast Tajikistan. Minutes later, one engine failed, followed shortly by the second. The crew attempted an emergency landing, and the aircraft crashed on snow-covered Mt Topkhana in Badakhshan province. Two passengers were killed and four other occupants were injured. ## Official Findings The official investigation concluded the accident occurred at night during an attempted emergency landing off airfield in mountainous terrain. The need for the landing was most likely caused by consecutive flameout of both engines due to total fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors included inadequate crew training for preflight calculations and IFR operations, including failure to fully use the Falcon 10’s navigation equipment. The crew did not comply with FAP-128 requirements during pre-departure decision-making: they failed to review the weather forecast along the route, leaving required fuel above actual reserves, and no alternative actions were planned if the flight could not be completed as filed due to deteriorating weather. The flight profile was not optimal, with excessive engine thrust settings and possible increased fuel consumption from engine component wear. The crew also failed to make a timely decision to land at the nearest available airfield when fuel became insufficient, and delayed notifying Dushanbe Regional Center air traffic controllers about the critical fuel emergency, preventing a landing at Kulyab Airport.