May 26, 2003, Trabzon, Turkey.
A plot about the crash of the Yak-42 airplane of Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines. The crash site, the wreckage of the plane, search operations, burnt bodies, a representative of Ukrainian Mediterranean Airlines in the office, the Turkish airport, the scoreboard.
Comments: Deputy Director of the State Department of Aviation Transport Yuriy Kodrianin.
Background: On May 26, 2003, a Yak-42 aircraft was flying from Kabul (Afghanistan) to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) to Trabzon (Turkey) to Zaragoza (Spain). There were 75 people on board, including 40 Spanish soldiers and one paramilitary police officer, who were returning from a mission as part of the NATO contingent in Afghanistan. In addition, the crew included 12 Ukrainians (two shift crews of 6 people each) and one Belarusian, who served as flight manager.
The plane crashed into a mountain slope about 30 kilometers from the Turkish city of Trabzon.
The investigation put forward several possible causes of the tragedy: crew fatigue, lack of technical checks before departure, lack of awareness of the specifics of the Trabzon airport, a possible fuel shortage, and limited experience in flying in difficult weather conditions.