SCAT Airline Canadair CRJ-200ER plane crash
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Updated on
The Canadair CRJ-200 operated by Scat Airline took off from Kokshetau, Kazakhstan, for a domestic flight to Almaty, Kazakhstan. 16 passengers and 5 crewmembers were onboard. The plane crashed during its final approach to Almaty. All the 21 occupants perished.
The Canadian-built Bombardier Challenger CRJ-200 was on final approach to Almaty's runway 23R in poor visibility due to fog when the crew decided to go around but the aircraft disappeared from radar screens. The plane came down near the village of Kyzyl Tu, 1400 meters short of the runway threshold, in swampy terrain. There was no fire, no explosion, but the impact was so violent that the aircraft had been pulverized. Parts of the plane could be seen in the thick snow.
Weather conditions were bad at the time of the accident, with thick fog and low visibility. The actual horizontal visibility was at 300 meters and vertical at 30 meters, requiring a CatIIIb capability, the crew was thus not permitted to land in these conditions, however was permitted to descend down to decision height (30 meters for this particular CRJ-200). The aircraft had planned for two alternate aerodromes, Karagranda and Astana, and carried sufficient fuel to reach either alternate after a go-around.
Scat Airline is a private Kazakh airline blacklisted by the European community.
