65 accidents of Antonov aircraft since 2000

The Antonov AN-28 operated by Transcep Congo Aviation took off from Bukavu, DR Congo, for a freight flight to Kasese, DR Congo. 3 crewmembers were onboard. The plane was declared missing about one hour flight after departure. 10 days later, on September 20th, the wreckage has been located about 20km from Bukavu. All the three people onboard were killed.

The Antonov AN-12BK operated by Meridian Ltd took off from Nis, Serbia, for a cargo flight to Amman, Jordan. 8 crewmembers were onboard. While over the Aegean Sea, the aircraft gradually began losing altitude after reaching 21,000 feet (6300 meters). The crew reported engine trouble. The Antonov initiated a 180-degree turn to make an emergency landing in Kavala, Greece. The plane reached the coastline 12 minutes later, then made a right hand turn toward Kavala airport. Then, the descent rate increased up to an abnormally high value of 3000-4000 feet per minute (900-1200 meters per minute). The plane crashed at 17 NM (31 kilometers) west of the airport and burst into flames. All 8 occupants were killed.

The Antonov AN-12BK operated by Grodno Aviakompania took off from Yakutsk, Russia, for a cargo flight to Irkutsk, Russia. 4 passengers (escorting the cargo) and 5 crewmembers were onboard. The plane was loaded with a cargo consisting of food and consumer goods. The crew went around after a first approach to Irkutsk. Radar contact was lost seconds later. The aircraft crashed and burst into flames at about 1.7 NM (3 km) East-South-East of the airport, near the village of Pivovarikha. All 9 occupants perished.

The Antonov AN-26 operated by Optimum Aviation took off from Juba, South Sudan, for a cargo flight to Maban, South Sudan. 5 crewmembers were onboard. The aircraft crashed a few minutes after takeoff, about 2 NM from the runway end, across river White Nile. The aircraft was destroyed, and all five occupants were killed.

The Antonov AN-26 operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka Aviation, took off from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, for a passenger flight to Palana, Russia. 22 passengers and 6 crewmembers were onboard. The plane was on approach to Palana in foggy and cloudy conditions when it crashed. All 28 people onboard were killed.

The Antonov AN-32 operated by Aer Caribe took off from Lima, Peru, for a cargo flight to Iquitos, Peru. 4 crewmembers were onboard. Right after landing, the plane veered off the runway and burst into flame. The 4 crewmembers were rescued and suffered minor injuries.

The Antonov AN-74 belonging to UTAir Cargo and operated on behalf and in colors of United Nations MINUSMA operations took off from Bamako, Mali, for a flight to Gao, Mali. 4 passengers and 7 crewmembers were onboard. The plane overran the runway after landing coming to a stop on soft ground with all gear collapsed and nose and belly substantially damaged. The captain has been seriously injured, 10 occupants received minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged.

The Antonov AN-24 operated by Angara Airlines took off from Ulan-Ude, Russia, for a passenger flight to Nizhneangarsk, Russia. 43 passengers and 4 crewmembers were onboard. After landing, the plane veered off the runway, collided with a building and caught fire. 2 persons were killed, 7 people were injured, 37 people remained uninjured. The plane was destroyed.

The Antonov AN-26 operated by Gomair took off from Tshikapa, Congo, for a cargo flight to Kinshasa, Congo. 7 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed while descending towards the destination of Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport. All 7 people onboard were killed. The cargo plane was returning from Tshikapa where it had delivered election materials for the national electoral commission (CENI). The plane was approaching its destination in poor visibility conditions. It was cleared to descend to 5000 feet. The plane crashed a few minutes later. Wreckage was found 20 NM (35km) away from the airport. Locals reported that the airplane was in very poor technical condition.

The Antonov AN-148-100 operated by Saratov Airlines took off from Moscow Domodedovo, Russia, for a passenger flight to Orsk, Russia. 65 passengers and 6 crew members were onboard. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 50 NM (90 km) south-east of Moscow, in a snow field. All 71 people onboard were killed. Preliminary analysis shows that the Russian-made aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 6000 feet then entered in a steep descent and disappeared from radar and crashed. Communications with Air Traffic Controllers were normal until the plane disappeared from radar. Witnesses said the plane was in flames as it fell from the sky. The wreckage has been found strewn across a snowy field, near the village Stepanovskoye in the Ramensky District.

The Antonov AN-26 operated by Valan Air Cargo took off from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, for a cargo flight to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. 6 passengers and 4 crewmembers were onboard. The plane was on final approach at Abidjan Airport in poor weather when the aircraft came down in the sea about 650 meters / 2130 feet ahead of the runway threshold. 4 occupants were killed, and 6 occupants were taken to hospitals with injuries. The twin-engine aircraft was chartered by the French Army. On board were six Moldovan crew members and four French army personnel, part of the anti-terrorist operation Barkhane. Weather reports indicate that a thunderstorm was passing the airport at the time of the accident. The aircraft performed its approach for landing in thunderstorms, gusting winds, heavy precipitation and lightning. Both engines were working normally. The aircraft suddenly impacted the shoreline, broke in three upon impact, killing four occupants. The four French army personnel and two crewmembers survived the accident.

The Antonov AN-12B operated by Allied Services Limited was performing a freight flight from Juba, South Sudan, to Paloich, South Sudan. 43 passengers and crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed seconds after takeoff into a hill. 40 occupants have been killed. 3 occupants survived with serious injuries. The Russian-built cargo plane departed Juba's airport, and was bound for the South Sudanese town of Paloich. The Antonov AN-12B turbo prop plane impacted a hill about 1100 meters past the runway end and came to rest at the banks of White Nile River. Photos show the charred wreckage of a plane in the reeds near the riverbank. The cause of the accident is still unknown. Antonov reported that the aircraft had not been permitted to fly as required maintenance as well as the extension of service life and the necessary work to enable service life extension had not been performed in time. The aircraft had been built on the company's factory in Tashkent in 1971 and was registered in the Republic of Tajikistan.

The Antonov AN-24 operated by South Airlines took off from Odessa, Ukraine, for a passenger flight to Donetsk, Ukraine. 44 passengers and 8 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed while landing at Donetsk, killing 5 people and injuring many others. The plane performed an uneventful flight until the final moment of the landing phase. The crew had not reported any problems and not declared emergency or priority. Seconds before touching down, the aircraft rolled sharply to the right and impacted the ground off the runway twice, the right hand engine burst into flames, the aircraft spun right and came to a stop on soft ground to the right of runway and parallel taxiway. The captain reported that a patch of fog floated onto the runway obscuring the view, the runway disappeared from view. At that moment the aircraft impacted something. Preliminary data suggest, the aircraft's left wing tip hit the weather station, an unmanned mast holding sensors to measure and record weather data, while on final approach, then rolled right and hit ground with the right wing first and broke up, the aircraft crossed the parallel taxiway before coming to a stop. After the accident, the occupants were evacuated through holes and cracks, emergency services quickly put out the fire. 47 people survived the accident, 5 people are confirmed dead, 9 people were taken to hospitals, 26 received medical attention.

The Antonov AN-28 operated by Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air took off from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, for a domestic flight to Palana, Russia. 12 passengers and 2 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed shortly before landing at Palana. 10 occupants perished, 4 survived with serious injuries. The Russian short-range airliner was on approach to Palana airport when it disappeared from radar screens. The wreckage was found later on the wooded slope of Mount Pyatibratka, in the thickets of mountain pines, 10 km from the airport, at an altitude of 3000 ft (900 metres). Palana features a runway 12/30 of 4100 feet/1250m length and 100 feet/30m width. Poor weather conditions were prevailing at the time of the accident.

The Antonov AN-26 operated by Alfa Airlines (also known as Ababeel Aviation) took off from Khartoum, Sudan, for a charter flight to Talodi, Sudan. 26 passengers and 5 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed during a go-around at Taladi airport. All occupants perished in the impact. The aircraft went around on its first attempt to land in Talodi due to weather but did not manage to climb above the terrain during the go-around. The plane then impacted the side of a mountain. At the time of the crash visibility was substantially reduced due to a dust and dirt storm in the area. The plane was carrying a government delegation, including Sudanese Ministers.

The Antonov 28 operated by TRACEP took off from Bukavu, Congo, on a cargo flight to Namoya, Congo. Three passengers and two crewmembers were onboard. The airplane was carrying also 2 tons of cargo. The plane failed to arrive at Namoya. The wreckage has been found a few hours later in a forest, about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Namoya. Both crewmembers and one passenger were killed in the accident. Two passengers survived.

The Antonov AN-12 operated by Avis Amur took off from Magadan, Russia, for a cargo flight to Keperveyem, Russia. 11 crewmembers and 16 tons of cargo were onboard. The plane crashed while in cruise, in Russian remote far eastern region. All 11 crewmembers perished. The plane was en-route, when the crew reported a fuel leak and an engine fire and said its intention to return to Magadan airport. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost about 170 NM (315 km) northeast of Magadan. The wreckage has been located a few hours after the crash in the area where the radar contact was lost, 6 NM (10 km) away from Omsukchan. The plane was destroyed. The plane was owned by Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft building plant and had been leased to Avis-Amur. The plane was carrying 16 tons of food supplies.

The Antonov AN-24 operated by IrAero, took off from Chita, Russia, for a passenger flight to Blagoveshchensk, Russia. 31 passengers and 5 crewmembers were onboard. The crash-landed in Blagoveshchensk, injuring 14 people onboard. Heavy rain reduced visibility (1000 meters / 3300 feet) prevailed at the time of the accident. Cloud base were at 500 ft. The aircraft performed an ILS approach to runway 36 descended below the glide path and veered off course. As result the aircraft hit a tree about 75 meters (250 ft) ahead of and 250 meters (820 ft) to the right of the runway threshold, leading the plane to smash on ground. While skidding over terrain the aircraft turned nearly 90 degrees and came to a stop 285 meters (935 ft) to the right of the runway and about 450 meters (1500 ft) past the runway threshold. The plane came to a stop on a soft ground, and was badly damaged: the landing gear collapsed and the left wing shattered after tree impact. There is no fatality, but 14 people (among which the captain and the first officer) have been injured.

The Angara Airlines Antonov AN-24 operating a flight on behalf of Tomsk Avia took off from Tomsk, Russia, for a passenger flight to Surgut, Russia. 33 passengers and 4 crewmembers were onboard. The plane developed problem in cruise and came down in the Ob River, close to Strezhevoy Airport, killing 6 passengers. The 31 other people onboard survived with various degrees of injuries. The aircraft was enroute at FL 200 (around 6000 meters in altitude) when the chips in the oil filter warning indication for the left engine triggered. The crew decided to divert to Nizhnevartovsk airfield. During the descent, a fire broke out in the left engine. The crew discharged both left engine halon bottles, but the fire did not stop. The crew then decided to perform a forced landing on a sandbank of River Ob. The plane approached the ground slowly, in a stabilized manner, and crash-landed. The tail separated from the fuselage during the landing. The plane eventually ended about 30 NM short of Nizhnevartovsk airfield.

The Antonov AN-26 cargo plane, operated for DHL, took off from Port Gentil, Gabon, for a cargo flight to Libreville, Gabon. 3 crewmembers and 1 passenger were onboard. The plane crashed into the sea during its approach to Libreville airport. The 4 crewmembers sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was operated by Solenta Aviation Gabon, on behalf of the DHL Aviation express courier service. The plane had been given permission to land in the capital when the pilot reported there had been a hydraulic problem. The plane ditched into the sea just off the shore near Libreville Airport. The airplane came to rest submerged with the top of the tail sticking out of the water. All 4 occupants left the aircraft with minor injuries.

The Antonov AN-148-100 was performing a training flight from Voronezh to Voronezh, Russia, with 6 crewmembers. The plane was en-route about 72 NM (134 km) South-South-West of Voronezh when the aircraft lost height and crashed in the village of Gorbuzovo Alekseevskogo. All 6 occupants perished in the crash. The cutting edge aircraft was about to be handed over to the Myanmar (Burma) Air Force. Two of the occupants were nationals of Myanmar and are believed to have been the pilots at the controls at the time of the crash. Just before the accident, the plane was en-route between the Voronezh and Belgorod regions. Eyewitnesses on the ground reported one of the wings and the tail separated from the aircraft and fall off. Officials confirmed finding debris of the aircraft about 1.5 NM (3 km) from the actual crash site, confirming the airplane began to break up in flight. Part of the wing and debris from inside the cabin has been located along the route from the first debris to the final crash site, none of that debris showing any evidence of fire. The plane has been destroyed by the impact on the ground and burst into flames.

The Antonov An-22 military transport aircraft belonging to the Russian Air Force took off from Voronezh, Russia, for a military flight to the Tver-Migalovo Military airport, Russia. 12 crew members were onboard. The plane crashed near the village of Krasny Oktyabr, on the border of the Tula and Oryol Regions in central Russia. All 12 people that were onboard were killed. The An-22 disappeared from radar screen while the plane was in flight. The burning remains were discovered 4 hours later, in a forest near the village of Krasny Oktyabr. The wreckage suggests the collision with the ground has been violent. Further to that accident, the Russian air force grounded all Antonov AN-22 transports and Tupolev TU-95MS bombers (fitted with the same kind of engines).

The Antonov AN-32B belonging to the Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) took off from Monterrey International Airport, Mexico, bound for Santa Lucia, Mexico. The plane was performing a military logistics flight with 5 crew-members onboard. The plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing all five people on board. The Russian twin-engine cargo airplane belonged to 301 Squadron of the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana. The plane had just taken off to the military airbase of Saint Lucia when a problem onboard makes the pilots opt for an emergency landing. But this wouldn't go well and the aircraft would have crashed and later exploded. The plane crashed to the side of a runway near the airport VIP Terminal, narrowly missing two parked biz jets.

The Antonov AN-24 operated by Tarco Airlines was performing a flight from Nyala, Sudan, to Zalingei, Sudan. 38 passengers and crew members were onboard. The plane crashed on landing, killing six of the 38 people on board. The airline reported that the Antonov plane burst two tyres on landing at Zalingei. Then, the airplane broke up in two parts and burst into flames.

The Antonov AN-24 operated by Katekavia was performing a passenger flight from Krasnoyarsk, Russia to Igarka, Russia with 11 passengers and 4 crew. The plane crashed while on final approach to Igarka Airport. Twelve occupants were killed in the accident, and three survived. The aircraft was on a final ILS approach to Igarka's runway 12 in night conditions, light rain, low cloud, reduced visibility and thunderstorm activity in the area, when the airplane impacted a birch grove about 500 meters (1600 feet) from the runway threshold and about 300 meters (1000 feet) to the right of the extended runway center line. The airplane broke up and burst into flames. Photos of the wreckage suggest that the passenger cabin have been completely destroyed by the fire, while the cockpit seems to have been spared. Both pilots and the flight engineer survived with serious injuries, the 11 passengers and a flight attendant died.

The Antonov 24 passengers plane, operated by Pamir Airways, had left Kunduz Airport, Afghanistan, on a domestic passenger flight to Kabul Airport, Afghanistan. There were six crew members and 38 passengers on board. The plane crashed in mountains, killing all 44 occupants. The plane was on approach to Kabul about 40 NM from the airport in poor weather conditions when the airplane disappeared from radar. The airplane was found crashed at the Salang Pass, a mountainous area where mountains tops rise at about 3900 meters (13000 ft). The weather was reported extremely bad with snow, flooding and poor visibility in the mountains, which hampered rescue efforts.

The Blue Wing Airlines Antonov AN-28, scheduled flight from Godo Holo, Suriname, to Paramaribo Zorg en Hoop, Suriname, with 6 passengers and 2 crew, crashed in the jungle of eastern Suriname. All eight on board were killed in the accident. The plane was enroute about 10 minutes into the flight when the crew reported bad weather and shortly thereafter radio contact was lost. The airplane still has not arrived at Zorg en Hoop several hours after estimated arrival. Rescue and Recovery teams reached the crash site the day after and all eight occupants were found dead. The airplane crashed about 200km (108nm) southeast of Paramaribo into the jungle 5km northeast of Pokisi in the Upper Marowijne District. The crash location is near the Tapanahony River. The airplane was quite off course obviously in order to avoid bad weather on the direct route.

The ATMA Airlines Antonov AN-12, operating for Interisland airlines on behalf of UPS, took off from Mactan, Philippines, for a cargo flight to Angeles, Philippines. 6 crewmembers were onboard. The airplane crashed about 11nm southeast of the airport. 3 crew were killed, 3 crew received injuries and were taken to hospital. The crew reported a fire on board a few minutes prior to impact with the crew attempting to get the airplane onto the ground immediately. The surviving captain said that they had an electrical short developing into a fire on board. He decided to put the airplane down onto the ground immediately. The aircraft crashed in a rice paddy near the town of Mexico, Philippines, and broke apart. The aircraft burst into flames before all crew could leave the aircraft.

The Aero Fret Business Antonov 12 cargo plane departed Pointe Noire, Congo, bound for Brazzaville, Congo. The aircraft was destroyed when it crashed at Nganga Lingolo, Congo, killing all six on board. The cargo plane was loaded with food, a minibus and three cars. Five crewmembers were onboard, as well as one passenger (who was not on the manifest). About one hour after takeoff, the airplane was approaching Brazzaville runway 05 when it crashed in a cemetery, some 11 km (6 NM) short of the runway threshold. The airplane came down near the Final Approach Point. The airplane should have started its final approach at that point, from an altitude of 1970 feet above ground level.

The civilian An-12 cargo plane operated by Falcon Aviation took off from Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq en route to Baghdad, Irak. Six crewmembers and a passenger were onboard. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all seven people aboard. The Russian-made plane was on a cargo flight and was carrying FedEx packages among its cargo. The plane lost radio contact shortly after take-off and crashed near the city of Fallujah in western Irak. Both the U.S. military and FedEx say the Antonov was not brought down by hostile fire. It is believed the likely cause was mechanical failure or pilot error. Falcon Aviation, which has its hub in Dubai, is contracted by FedEx to transport cargo across the Gulf countries. It uses aircraft owned and operated by British Gulf International which has its hub in Dubai's neighbouring emirate Sharjah.

The Russian-made Antonov 32, belonging to the Equatorial Guinea National Guard, was flying from the city of Bata on the African mainland to the small southern island of Annobon, Equatorial Guinea. The plane crashed into the sea during landing. The plane landed on its destination airfield’s runway in very poor weather conditions: heavy wind and rain were prevailing at the time of the accident. But then, the plane did not decelerate enough, skidded off the runway and crashed into the sea. All five crew members (three air force officers and two Russians) and six civilian passengers -- who were campaigning ahead of municipal and parliamentary elections on May 4 -- were killed (state radio says the number of passengers and crew was 13. The government says 11 people were the plane). Equatorial Guinean airlines figure high on a European Union blacklist. Annobon is home to around 3,000 people, mainly employed in fishing. Flights to the mainland only started in 2007.

The Antonov An-28 operated by Surinamese carrier Blue Wing airlines took off from Paramaribo, Suriname, bound for Benzdorp in the east of Suriname, near the border with French Guiana. There were 17 passengers and 2 crewmembers onboard. The twin-engine aircraft attempted to land on the Benzdorp airstrip, but there was another aircraft on the runway at the time. The An-28 performed a go-around but it then crashed in a wooded hillside. The aircraft plunged into the woods some 150 meters parallel to the airstrip. According to accounts of eyewitnesses, the plane was already in its landing approach when the pilot tried to pull up again. However, the aircraft suddenly veered left and plunged nose down into the woods, followed by at least three explosions. The accident has left all 19 passengers and crew dead.

The Russian-made Antonov 26 owned by El Sam Airlift, and chartered by Malift Air, was on a passenger flight from Kinshasa, Congo, and Tshikapa, Congo. The plane crashed seconds after takeoff from Kinshasa. Shortly after takeoff the nr.2 engine failed. Some reports say propeller blade(s) separated from the engine. The airplane lost height, contacted trees and crashed onto Mayulu Avenue in the Kingasani neighbourhood, striking three houses. The plane burst into flame after it crashed in this populated area. One crew member is said to have survived the accident, but the 21 other people onboard died (there have been many conflicting reports regarding the number of passengers: a figure of 19 has also been mentioned in press reports). At least 28 fatalities have been reported on the ground. Several houses have been completely destroyed by fire. El Sam Airlift is banned from flying in Europe because of safety concerns. Ageing planes in Congo suffer from a lack of maintenance and spare parts but they are often the only way to transport people and goods across the vast central African country that is slowly recovering from a 1998-2003 civil war.

The Antonov An-32 was on a cargo and passenger flight from Kongolo (Congo), to Goma (Congo), the main city in North Kivu province, with around 9 tonnes of cassiterite (tin oxide) and other minerals. Goma is a transit point for many mineral exports from eastern Congo. Twelve passengers also boarded the flight. The airplane developed engine trouble about ten minutes after takeoff. The crew attempted to return to the Kongolo but the airplane was unable to maintain altitude and hit trees, crashed and burned 3 kilometers short of the runway. The plane was flying about 3 tons over the recommended capacity. Among the 15 people on board (12 passengers and 3 crew members), only 1 survived. The government has suspended the license of Great Lakes Business Co., the company that operated the plane, along with several other companies for negligence and overloading planes.

The Antonov An-12 freighter belonging to Atran Airlines was on a domestic cargo service to Omsk and Bratsk. It crashed seconds after taking off from Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, in Russia. None of the seven occupants of the aircraft survived. The plane came down and crashed in woodland near Semivragi, 4km (2.1nm) from the airport. Information from the cockpit voice recorder are analysed in an effort to determine the cause of the accident. But the An-12's flight-data recorder was destroyed by fire. Russian authorities have suspended the operations of Moscow-based freight airline Atran following the crash. While the illegal overloading of freighters has been a concern within the country, Russia's transport ministry says that the aircraft was carrying just 9t of cargo - less than half of the An-12's maximum payload capability of 20t.

The plane, a Russian-made An-24, was flying between two popular tourist destinations in Cambodia. It departed from Siem Reap — home to the popular Angkor Wat temple complex — to the coastal city of Sihanoukville. The airplane crashed in a remote, mountainous terrain, in the Kom Chhay Mountains, near Sihanoukville. The airplane was supposed to fly around the eastern side of Bokor Mountain near Kampot, but it was found to have taken the western course because of heavy rains in the original course. Because Bokor Mountain rises 1,080 meters above sea level, pilots are expected to maintain a minimum altitude of 1,200 meters in the area. At the time of crash, the aircraft was flying at just 600 meters. The control tower warned the crew it was flying too low, but the pilot ignored the warning, saying, "I know this terrain well." Communications ended immediately afterwards. The airplane crashed into an 800-meter mountain. The crash site is near the top of a northwestern sloping point of the mountain. The area, called Phnom Damrei or Elephant Mountain, is about 40 km or five minutes by air from Sihanoukville Airport, the plane's destination. The 22 people onboard were killed. The plane belonged to PMT Air, a small Cambodian airline that began flying the route in January.

The Antonov belonging to Aeriantur-M Airlines was chartered to fly Turkish construction workers to Iraq. The plane left Adana, Turkey, for a 90-minute flight to the Balad Air Base, a US base in Iraq 80 km (50 NM) north of the capital Baghdad. There were 30 passengers and 5 crewmembers onboard. On final approach, pilots missed the approach due to heavy fog and decided to perform a go around. On the second attempt, the 25-year-old plane hit the ground 2,5 km short of runway and was destroyed. The death toll from the crash had risen to 34. Only one passenger survived and suffered injuries. Turkish officials have blamed bad weather and low visibility for the disaster, but an Iraqi government official on Wednesday cited technical failure or human error as the possible cause. Investigators do not exclude terrorism: in statements published on their web site, the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) claimed that they shot down.

An Iranian military Antonov-74 plane heading towards the southern Iranian city of Shiraz on a military mission crashed at Tehran International Mehrabad Airport, Iran, immediately after take-off. The Russian-made airplane belonged to the Islamic Revolution's Guard Corps (IRGC) and was on an ordinary military mission. During take-off, one of its two engines caught fire. The airplane lost thrust and was not able to gain altitude. Then, the crash was unavoidable. The plane burst into flames when it impacted the ground. 30 revolutionary guards along with the plane's six crew were killed. Two of the plane's passengers, both revolutionary guards, survived. The root cause of the accident is probably a technical failure of the engine due to a bad maintenance. Revolutionary Guards Commander-in-Chief has denied that sabotage is likely to be a cause. Air safety experts say Iran has a poor record, with a string of crashes involving Russian-made aircraft having occurred in recent decades. Sanctions imposed by the United States and insufficient technical maintenance are a major headache for military and civil aviation in Iran and the main reasons for the frequent crashes in the country. Indeed, Iran is not allowed to buy modern American or European aircraft and, therefore, buy old Russian aircraft. Moreover, the country has a lot of difficulties to get the tools and parts necessary to maintain properly its aging fleet.

The Antonov 28 belonging to the local private airline Air Traset was on a flight from the mining town of Lugushwa (130 km south of Bukavu) and carried mining products but also 14 passengers. The plane went down on approach to its destination airport in Bukavu (Congo). The Antonov descended in low clouds and struck a mountainside. It crashed in a forest and caught fire. All 17 people onboard were killed.

The Antonov AN-74 had taken off from Sabaha in Libya and had been due to land three hours later at N'Djamena's international airport (Chad). The aircraft had been chartered to a foreign company to transport humanitarian aid. Just before landing, air traffic control in N'Djamena noted that the aircraft was going into its approach at a high altitude. The plane aborted the landing and made a go-around. One can suppose there was a technical problem. But the crew did not mention any failure to the air traffic controllers. Pilots told the air control tower they were going to circle before attempting the landing again. A witness said the cargo plane's left wing appeared to be on fire as it passed overhead. The cargo plane came down a few minutes later a few kilometres south of N'Djamena, in a marshy area of Kousseri (North Cameroon). The plane burst into flames on impact but nobody on the ground was hurt. It had come down in a dried-up riverbed in a deserted part of town. All 6 crew members were killed. The main elements of the plane's cargo were found strewn around the wreckage: dozens of tins of meat and tomatoes, packets of tea and bottles of cooking oil.

The Armenian AN-12 belonging to Phoenix Avia departed Payam Airport, Iran, for a cargo flight to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. A few seconds after take-off, the aircraft collided in a flock of birds. It led three out of four engines to fail. The crew reported technical problems on three engines and decided to return to the airport. Eventually, an emergency landing was carried out 5 kilometers of the airport. The plane was gutted by flames after all 12 people on board and the cargo were safely evacuated. 4 crewmembers suffered minor injuries.

The aircraft was on a military flight. It was landing at Aweil when a front tire burst causing the plane to veer and crash into a building. The Antonov then caught fire, but it is unclear whether the plane exploded. All 13 soldiers and 7 crew members onboard were killed in the crash.

The aircraft, a 32-year-old Antonov AN24, owned by Slovak Air Force (Letectva a Protivzdu Obrany-snej Slovenskej), crashed and burst into flames in a wooded area, near the eastern Hungarian village of Telkibanya, some 20 km from its destination, Kosice air base. Among the 43 occupants, only one passenger survived. All occupants were young Slovak soldiers coming back to Kosice after a peace mission for KAFOR (UNO) in Kosovo. The DFDR analysis showed that the root cause of the accident is a crew error. No technical problem has been recorded. During the approach phase on the Kosice airport, the crew descended 2 miles too early. He was supposed to fly 1000 feet above a hill surrounding the airport, but he was too low and collided with it.

The Antonov An-140-100 from Azerbaijan airlines, which was en route from Baku to Aktau, crashed a few minutes after take off. The plane crashed on land near the Caspian Sea shore, north from Baku. All off the 17 passengers and 5 crew members were killed. Azerbaijan Airlines' said that the study of the plane's flight recorders revealed that the pilots' instruments failed immediately after takeoff, making the crew unable to see the parameters necessary to fly, and leaving the crew unable to pilot the aircraft. A few minutes before the crash, the crew reported a system failure and asked air traffic controllers for information on the plane's altitude and direction.

The aircraft, on a passenger flight from Beni to Isiro-Matari Airport, crashed while attempting to land. About a mile from the field while on approach to runway 31, the plane impacted a grove of trees, crashed, and exploded. Weather at the time of the accident was foggy.

The aircraft was operating a passenger flight from Malabo to Bata. Shortly after takeoff, the Antonov AN-24B was on fire and lost altitude. It crashed into a jungle mountainous area, about 13 miles from Malabo. All 60 passengers and crew members were killed.

The aircraft, on a passenger flight from Khartoum to el-Fasher, crashed after having aborted the take-off run. The aircraft did not have enough distance to brake, overran the runway and came to a rest with its left side engulfed in flames. 5 out of 40 people onboard were killed.

The aircraft, on a passenger flight from Goma to Kindu, crashed into a forested cliff approximately 30 minutes after takeoff. All 27 passengers and crew members were killed.

The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger flight from Perm to Varandey when it rolled abruptly to the right, and crashed just short of Varandey Airport. Of the 52 passengers and crew members aboard the flight, 29 were killed. The objective control data decoding showed that, during the flight, no failure or breakdown were registered. The cause of the accident should be linked to an unsatisfactory cooperation between crew members and errors committed during the flight coupled with landing approach under unfavorable conditions.

The aircraft, operating on a passenger flight between Boende and Kinshasa, crashed while attempting its third takeoff attempt after two previous aborted takeoffs. The Antonov overran the runway, and crashed into a market square. 20 people onboard died, as well as 13 people on ground. 4 persons onboard survived.

The aircraft departed Sokolniki Airfield in Kharkov for a passenger flight to Isfahan, with an intermediate stop at Trobson (Turkey). While approaching Isfahan, the aircraft impacted the side of a mountain and crashed. Weather at the time of the accident was poor, with heavy fog reported. All 46 people aboard were killed. The aircraft had been just delivered to the airline, and had carried out only 27 landings while flying 71 hours in its lifetime.

The aircraft was on a passenger flight from Khabarovsk to Ayan. It crashed into the sea while on approach to land at Ayan.

The aircraft was departing Popayán's Guillermo Leon Valencia Airport when it immediately nosed down and crashed. The aircraft was departing for the return leg of a flight, which had carried 50 prisoners to Popayán. 3 out of 8 crew members were killed.

The aircraft was on a cargo flight. It crashed 1.5 NM (2 kilometers) short of the runway during an emergency landing attempt on Lakhta airport (Russia).

The aircraft crashed shortly after departing Agadir, Morocco, on a cargo flight to Algiers, Algeria. The plane impacted terrain at an altitude of roughly 9,900ft in the rugged Atlas Mountains region. All eight crewmembers aboard were killed.

The aircraft was on a passenger flight from Luanda to Luena. It crashed 2 kilometers from the Luena Airport (Angola) while on approach. The plane was chartered by the regional government of the Province of Moxico. Half of the passengers onboard were killed.

The aircraft was performing a military flight in Russia. It crashed into a swamp killing all the seven people onboard.

The plane was on a military flight. It crashed during a sandstorm. Among the dead were Sudan's Deputy Defense Minister and 13 high-ranking military officers. 16 people onboard survived.

UNITA rebels claim to have downed the aircraft as it approached Luena on a military flight. All 22 people onboard were killed.

One minute after the take-off, the airplane failed to climb and started an uncontrolled turn to the left. Witnesses observed smoke around the plane. The Antonov AN-24 crashed and exploded on impact. All the 40 people onboard were killed, and 1 person on ground died.

The Antonov An-26 operated by ACA-Ancargo had departed Saurimo, Angola. About twenty minutes after takeoff, contact with the aircraft was lost. The aircraft crashed and there were no survivors.

The Antonov An-26 operated for the Sri Lanka Air Force was carrying personnel when a problem was reported in flight. The crew reported an engine-related abnormality and began diverting in order to land as soon as possible.

The Antonov An-32 operating a passenger flight in Angola was accelerating for takeoff when the crew encountered difficulty controlling the aircraft on the ground. Available information indicates a braking-system problem while the pilots were also attempting to avoid major defects in the runway surface.