What happened
During an approach to the Shatyrkul landing area, a single-engine aircraft impacted the ground in a snow-covered field. The crash site was situated approximately 1.2 km south of the intended landing zone and roughly 20 km north of Shatyrkul. At the time of the accident, the region was experiencing poor visibility due to dense fog.
Search and rescue teams reached the wreckage at 17:01 local time. The aircraft was carrying seven people in total, including four passengers who were identified as staff members of the Kazakhmys Mining Company. The accident resulted in six fatalities and one serious injury. The sole survivor, a female passenger, was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the crew performed a descent without maintaining visual contact with the terrain. A critical contributing factor was that the crew failed to update the barometric altimeter with the current local air pressure of the airstrip, leading to the impact during the final approach phase.