What happened
During a scheduled flight from Almaty Airport to Astana-Nursultan Nazarbayev Airport, a Fokker 100 experienced a critical malfunction during its takeoff roll on runway 05R. The aircraft, operating as flight Z9210 as part of a regular service, was carrying 93 passengers and five crew members. As the aircraft reached a speed of 148 knots with flaps set to zero, the crew initiated the rotation. Immediately following liftoff, the plane exhibited unstable lateral movement, rolling 5 degrees to the right and then 19 degrees to the left without any corresponding increase in airspeed.
After reaching an altitude of approximately 20 feet at a 14-degree pitch, the aircraft began to descend, striking the runway with the tail section. The plane remained on its main landing gear while sliding for roughly 15 seconds, with the nose gear remaining elevated. The aircraft managed to lift off a second time at 138 knots, at which point the crew retracted the landing gear. However, while maintaining a 19-degree pitch, the aircraft's speed dropped to 130 knots. The plane then veered to the right and performed a belly landing, sliding for 850 metres. The aircraft breached a perimeter fence and ultimately crashed into a residential structure located 80 metres to the right of the extended centerline. The impact resulted in 12 fatalities, including the captain, and 47 injuries. While the aircraft was destroyed, no fire was reported.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced significant lateral instability and a loss of airspeed immediately following the initial rotation.
- The aircraft's inability to maintain sufficient airspeed during the second liftoff attempt led to the subsequent belly landing and crash.