Investigation Summary
The investigation into Flight 112 revealed significant operational and regulatory failures. The aircraft, an Antonov An-24RV (though some military sources incorrectly identified it as an An-26), had been manufactured in 1972 and recently acquired from storage in Bulgaria. Post-crash audits discovered that the aircraft's Afghan registration had been forged to bypass mandatory safety inspections. Furthermore, the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were found to be non-functional at the time of the accident. During the flight, the crew requested a descent which was explicitly denied by Air Traffic Control due to the mountainous terrain and poor visibility. The crew disregarded this denial and initiated a descent anyway. When the GPWS sounded, the crew failed to take corrective action, possibly due to a language barrier or a history of false alerts from the aging equipment. The impact occurred at approximately 250 mph, completely obliterating most of the airframe except for the vertical stabilizer.
Final Conclusions
The crash was primarily caused by the captain's failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain (CFIT). Contributing factors included the crew's decision to descend despite being denied clearance by ATC, a lack of effective monitoring by ATC who failed to warn the crew of their dangerous descent rate, and the crew's failure to react to GPWS warnings. The investigation also highlighted systemic issues within Pamir Airways, including the use of forged documentation to avoid safety oversight.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
FBI Agent Describes Pamir Plane Crash Recovery Efforts — FBI Special Agent Adriene Sullivan discusses the humanitarian and forensic challenges of recovering and identifying the 44 victims of Pamir Airways Flight 112 in the remote Hindu Kush mountains.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
GPWS
Ground Proximity Warning System; the crew reportedly misunderstood or ignored alerts from this system prior to impact.
FDR/CVR
Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder; both units were found to be inoperative, hindering the initial investigation.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was traveling at approximately 250 mph (400 km/h) when it impacted the mountainside.
- 02The crash site was located only 20 kilometers (12 miles) from its destination, Kabul International Airport.
- 03The aircraft's registration was found to be forged to avoid safety inspections after its purchase from Bulgaria.
- 04The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were not functional during the accident flight.
- 05Victim identification required DNA analysis conducted by Turkish and British forensic teams due to the violence of the impact.
- 06One American citizen was among the victims, leading to FBI involvement in the recovery and identification process.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Suspension of Pamir Airways License
The Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation suspended the airline's license in March 2011 following revelations of forged registrations and safety violations.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Forged Registration and Regulatory Failure
Reference ↗The investigation revealed the aircraft's registration was forged to avoid safety inspections, leading to the suspension of the airline and legal investigations into the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.