2007 AerianTur-M Antonov An-26 crash

AerianTur-M

Company type	Private company
Industry	Aviation (aircraft leasing/charter)
Headquarters	Moldova
Products	Aircraft leasing/charter services

The 2007 AerianTur-M Antonov An-26 accident occurred on 9 January 2007 when an Antonov An-26 aircraft crashed during its approach to Joint Base Balad in Balad, Iraq, a facility under the control of the United States Air Force at that time.<ref name="US base and Kulak"> The tragedy resulted in 34 fatalities and left a single passenger severely injured. While official reports attribute the crash to adverse weather conditions, alternative accounts suggest the possibility of the aircraft being struck by a missile, implying a potential cover-up.

Aircraft

The airplane involved was an Antonov An-26B-100 model, bearing the registration ER-26068. This aircraft first took to the skies in 1981 and was equipped with two Ivchenko AI-24VT engines. The An-26 series represents a twin-engine light turboprop transport plane, evolved from the Antonov An-24, designed with emphasis on military applications. Its design incorporates a rear fuselage modified to include a sizable cargo ramp.

Background

The aircraft departed from Adana, Turkey, at approximately 0400 UTC. It was registered to the Moldovan firm AerianTur-M and had been leased that day to Kulak, a Turkish construction company contracted to build a new hangar at the airfield. The charterer, BSA Aviation Ltd, arranged the flight, which carried both passengers and freight. The cargo onboard weighed around 1,289 kg (2,842 lb), well below the plane's maximum capacity of 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Turkish officials reported to CNN Türk that among the passengers were 29 Turkish workers, three Moldovans, one Russian, one Ukrainian, and one American, although this count exceeds the total number of individuals on board by one. Subsequent statements from the Russian consul general in Antalya indicated that the Russian and Ukrainian individuals also held Moldovan citizenship.

Crash

At 0700 UTC, the plane went down approximately 2.5 km (1.6 mi; 1.3 nmi) from Balad Air Base, a key logistics center for US military operations in Iraq, during its landing approach. A government official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, revealed that the pilot had previously aborted a landing attempt due to adverse weather conditions. While initial reports attributed the crash to foggy weather, an eyewitness—related to one of the victims—claimed to have observed a missile strike hit the right side of the fuselage from a distance of roughly 300–400 meters (980–1,310 ft) from the crash site. This individual also stated that several other witnesses saw the aircraft being shot down. Among those who perished was İsmail Kulak, a co-owner of Kulak Construction Company.

Emergency response

Since the crash occurred within a military installation, emergency services were provided by both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. The 206th Area Support Medical Company, a unit of the US Army National Guard based in Missouri, handled ground ambulance operations. A total of eight ambulances were deployed, supported by the base's Quick Reaction Force (QRF), which consisted of the 1-134th LRS(D) from Nebraska. The Air Force's 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron dispatched helicopters to evacuate the deceased from the site. Out of the 35 individuals aboard, two survivors were extracted alive from the wreckage. One succumbed after being transported by an Army ambulance to the Air Force Theater Hospital. The other survivor, identified as a Turkish national named Abdülkadir Akyüz, was also taken by ground ambulance to the Air Force Theater Hospital where he underwent critical emergency surgery.

Reaction from the Islamic Army in Iraq

The day following the incident, the insurgent faction known as the Islamic Army in Iraq, which is part of the Iraqi insurgency (2003–11), claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft via a website recognized by authorities as affiliated with them. Their statement declared that members had "opened fire on a plane attempting to land at an American base near Balad from multiple directions using medium-range weapons... With God's help, they succeeded in shooting it down."

Investigation

Following photographic documentation of the wreckage at its original location, military personnel transported it on flatbed trucks to the base where it remains secured. In addition to ongoing considerations about fog conditions, Ahmed al-Mussawi, spokesperson for Iraq’s transport ministry, suggested shortly after the crash that either technical failure or inadequate pilot experience could have contributed to the accident. Investigations are being conducted jointly by Iraqi, American, and Moldovan authorities; however, Turkey has been denied participation in the investigative team. Both the Air Force and Army have expressed willingness to assist with inquiries. According to Ali Ariduru, deputy head of Turkey’s aviation authority, preliminary findings indicate no mechanical issues with the aircraft. An eyewitness working a shift at one of the base’s towers reported no observation or sound of missile or gunfire.

There remains uncertainty regarding the location of the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), commonly referred to as "black boxes." The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated these devices were sent to Antonov’s headquarters in Kyiv, while Turkish Minister of Transportation Binali Yıldırım maintains they remain in Iraq along with other debris. What is confirmed is that both recorders were recovered on 30 January.

See also

• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
• List of aviation accidents and incidents with a sole survivor

External links

• Images of the aircraft before the accident
• Photographs of the aircraft following the crash Archived 4 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine