What happened
On February 22, 2009, an Antonov An-2 agricultural aircraft, registration EX-68039, was operating flight GRS 4571 as a ferry flight from Ak-Chiy, Kyrgyzstan, to Bukhara, Uzbekistan. The flight was conducted by Golden Rule Airlines. The crew consisted of a captain and a co-pilot, accompanied by an aircraft and engine technician and a company manager acting as a translator. The flight plan specified an altitude of 3,900 meters, with Shymkent and Samarkand designated as alternate airports.
The crew arrived at the Ak-Chiy control tower at 03:00 UTC. Due to the absence of a medical professional at the airfield, which was required by local flight operations instructions, the captain performed the pre-flight medical examinations for the crew and dispatcher himself. No health issues were reported by the personnel. Although the flight was originally scheduled for departure at 05:30 UTC, the departure time was subsequently delayed to 06:30 UTC during the pre-flight preparations.