Flight Safety Information  
December 28, 2011  -  No. 261
 

In This Issue 
Passenger jet crash-lands in fog in Kyrgyzstan, injuring 31 
Accident description 



Passenger jet crash-lands in fog in Kyrgyzstan, injuring 31
 
 
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) - A Soviet-built jet operated by a Kyrgyz carrier broke its 
wing, overturned and caught fire Wednesday as it tried to land in deep fog in southern 
Kyrgyzstan, leaving 31 people injured, officials said.
The Soviet-built Tu-134 operated by local carrier Kyrgyzstan had flown from the capital 
Bishkek and was trying to land at the airport in the city of Osh, said Ilyas Egemberdiyev, 
a spokesman for the airline.
 
Rescuers quickly extinguished the fire and evacuated 82 passengers and six 
crewmembers. Emergency Situations Minister Kubatbek Boronov said that 31 people 
were injured, and 17 of them were hospitalized.
 
 
Officials declined to comment on possible causes of the crash. A team of top officials led 
by the nation's prime minister was to fly to Osh to start a probe, but it had to delay the 
trip because of thick fog and strong winds in the area.
 
The twin-engined Tu-134, along with its larger sibling the Tu-154, has been the 
workhorse of Soviet and Russian civil aviation since the 1960s, with more than 800 
planes built. It also has remained in service with many post-Soviet carriers.
In recent years, Russia and other former Soviet nations have had some of the world's 
worst air traffic safety records. Experts blame poor maintenance of the aging aircraft, 
weak government controls, insufficient pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality. 
 
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Accident description
 
 
Status:
Preliminary
Date:
28 DEC 2011
Time:
12:48
Type:
Tupolev 134A-3
Operator:
Kyrgyzstan
Registration:
EX-020
C/n / msn:
61042
First flight:
1979
Crew:
Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 
Passengers:
Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 
Total:
Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 70 
Airplane damage:
Destroyed
Airplane fate:
Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:
Osh Airport (OSS) (Kyrgyzstan) 
Phase:
Landing (LDG)
Nature:
Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:
Bishkek-Manas International Airport (FRU) (FRU/UAFM), Kyrgyzstan
Destination airport:
Osh Airport (OSS) (OSS/UAFO), Kyrgyzstan
 
Narrative: 
A Tupolev 134 passenger jet sustained substantial damage in a landing accident at Osh 
Airport (OSS), Kyrgyzstan. 
The airplane reportedly landed hard in dense fog. AKI Press reports that the airplane 
rolled over, causing the right wing to separate. A fire erupted, but this was quickly 
contained by airport fire services. At least seven people were injured. 
 
Weather reported at Osh around the time of the accident (07:00 UTC / 13:00 local) was: 
METAR UAFO 280700Z 02002MPS 0300 R12/0550 FG VV001 00/00 Q1023 R12/19//50 
TEMPO 0300 FZFG VV002 RMK QFE691/0922 BASE050M= 
Wind from 020 degrees at 2 m/sec; visibility 300m; on runway 12, touchdown zone 
visual range is 550m in fog; vertical visibility 100 m; pressure: 1023 hPa; temperature: 
0°C. 
  
 www.aviation-safety.net
 

Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP, FRAeS 
CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC