Kyrgyz Government

Yakovlev Yak-40

The crew departed Bishkek on a special flight to Issyk Kul and Naryn to proceed with the calibration of the ILS systems. About 30 minutes into the flight from Issyk Kul to Naryn, the right engine started to vibrate while the left engine temperature increased. After the right engine was shut down, the captain asked the flight engineer to reduce the power on the left engine by 80%. While flying in the Karakuzhur Valley and unable to maintain a safe altitude, the pilot remembered he was using in the past an old dirt strip for agricultural operations as he was flying Antonov AN-2. He attempted to land on this airstrip located at an altitude of 2,700 metres. Upon landing, the aircraft collided with rocks (larger than 40 cm) and drainage ditches and came to rest, bursting into flames. All 14 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.