On Sunday, August 24, 2008, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft owned by Itek Air crashed in northern Kyrgyzstan. According to information on the airline's website (Russian language), the aircraft was operated by Iran Aseman Airlines as Flight 6895. News stories about the crash have varied in reporting the number of souls on board and the number of casualties, however the Itek Air website says that there were 84 passengers and six crew members on board the accident aircraft. Itek Air says that 68 of the passengers were killed, and that 16 passengers and all six crew members survived the crash, although not without injuries.On the evening of the accident, the aircraft departed Manas International Airport at Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, bound for Tehran, Iran. Itek Air says that the aircraft departed Bishkek at 20:30 local time, and that the accident happened at 20:42. News reports have said that the aircraft was attempting to return to Bishkek, but crashed before reaching the airfield, and a fire ensued.
The Russian news service RIA Novosti reported that the registration number of the accident aircraft was EX-009, although this has not been independently confirmed.
If more factual information about this accident becomes available, I will report it here on Aircrew Buzz.
