Crash of an Itek Air 737-200 on 24 August 2008

Transcript of the Podcast

Welcome to the Conversation at AirSafe.com, with your host Dr. Todd Curtis.

This is show #63 - Crash of Itek Air 737-200 on 24 August 2008

The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to Tehran, Iran. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the crew turned back to the departure airport and also reported some kind of technical problem, crashing short of the runway.

There were about 83 passengers and seven crew on the aircraft, including 17 members of Kyrgyzstan's national basketball youth team. Seven team members reportedly survived. At least 65 of those on board, including five of the seven crew members, were killed.

This was the first fatal event for Kyrgyzstan carrier Itek Air, which had been flying since 1999. The accident aircraft was reportedly manufactured in 1979.

Exactly one month before the fatal Itek Air crash, the European Union released a list of airlines that included Itek Air as one of the airlines banned from flying in any of the EU countries.

This was the 65th fatal event involving the 737, and the 47th involving the 737-200 series. The first 737-200 series aircraft began commercial operations in 1968, and the last 737-200 was delivered in 1988. The first fatal event for the 737 was a 737-200 crash in 1972. This latest crash was the 19th fatal 737 event since 2000, with 11 of the 19 involving a 737-200. The last fatal 737-200 event in North America or the European Union was a crash in Colorado Springs, CO in 1991.

Additional information about this event, including updates or findings from the investigation, will be available at itek.airsafe.org.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time.