On 27 December 2019, a Bek Air Fokker 100 (reg. UP-F1007) came down and crashed into a 2-story building near Almaty airport, Kazakhstan, shortly after take-off. The aircraft carried 93 passengers and 5 crew members.
Flight Z9 2100 was en route from Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, to the capital Nur-Sultan. The cause of the crash is not known.
Bek Air cancelled all its flights soon after the crash. Bek Air normally operates a fleet of 7 Fokker F100s.
Meanwhile, Almaty’s airport said it was operating normally and the flight schedule was unaffected.
Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Authority reported the Air Operator’s Certificate of Bek Air was suspended on Dec 27th 2019 following the accident. The accident aircraft had entered service on Apr 8th 1996, it’s airworthiness certificate was last renewed on May 22nd 2019. The aircraft carried 93 passengers and 5 crew. The captain was 58 years old, the first officer 54 years, both pilots held ATPLs. 15 people have died as a result of the accident so far. An investigation commission has been formed.
Breaking: A Bek Air plane carrying around 100 people has crashed shortly after takeoff in Kazakhstan. pic.twitter.com/TxlLPrZ0sG
— PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) December 27, 2019
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health reported a total of 66 people were taken to hospitals in Almaty, 50 of those were hospitalised, one of those died despite hospital care.
A survivor reported the aircraft climbed a little bit began shaking then a collision occurred. Someone opened the emergency exit and the passenger got out. There were a lot of injuries (blood, broken arms and legs) and a number of fatalities around.
Another passenger reported the aircraft had just rotated and was beginning to gain altitude when the aircraft rolled left then right, then an impact occurred. The over-wing exit was opened, they crawled out of the aircraft via an icy wing, everyone on the wing slipped on the wing, the passengers helped each other to get off the wing.
