Investigation Summary
The aircraft, operated by the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, was performing a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) mission when the left engine suffered a catastrophic failure due to a broken turbine blade. The resulting vibration and noise led the crew to believe an emergency had occurred, but they incorrectly identified the right engine as the failed unit and shut it down. This left the aircraft in a dual-engine-out state at approximately 38,000 feet. The investigation found that the crew's decision to attempt a return to Kandahar Airfield (KAF), roughly 230 nautical miles away, was a critical error. By choosing KAF, they bypassed significantly closer emergency landing options, including Kabul International Airport and Bagram Airfield, which were within gliding distance. As the aircraft lost altitude, the crew eventually realized they could not reach KAF and attempted to divert to FOB Sharana, but they lacked the necessary energy to reach the base. The aircraft struck the ground in a level attitude but at high vertical speed in the Dih Yak District, leading to the total destruction of the airframe.
Final Conclusions
The Air Force investigation concluded the primary cause was a mechanical failure of a fan blade in the left engine, which was critically compounded by pilot error. The crew's misidentification of the failed engine led to the shutdown of the only functioning engine. Contributing factors included the crew's failure to restart the correct engine in flight and their attempt to glide back to Kandahar Air Base despite lacking the necessary altitude and airspeed to reach the destination.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Left Engine (Turbofan)
Suffered a mechanical failure when a turbine blade broke free, initiating the emergency sequence.
Right Engine (Turbofan)
A healthy engine that was mistakenly shut down by the crew during the emergency response.
Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN)
The specialized electronic relay system the aircraft was carrying to facilitate communication between disparate military units.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was one of only four E-11A BACN platforms in the U.S. Air Force inventory at the time.
- 02The crash occurred in territory controlled by the Taliban, complicating recovery efforts.
- 03Initial reports incorrectly identified the aircraft as a civilian Ariana Afghan Airlines flight.
- 04The flight data recorder was successfully recovered by U.S. forces.
- 05The two crew members were the only occupants on board.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Engine Failure Training Review
The investigation highlighted the need for improved crew coordination and diagnostic procedures during high-stress engine failure scenarios to prevent misidentification.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Taliban Shoot-down Claims
Reference ↗Taliban spokespersons initially claimed their forces shot down the aircraft, but U.S. military investigations found no evidence of enemy fire and attributed the crash to mechanical failure and pilot error.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · AIRPORT LEVEL · Coordinates are the estimate published in the official investigation report. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.