1998 Ariana Afghan Airlines crash

1998 Ariana Afghan Airlines crash

File:Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 Durand-1.jpg YA-FAZ, the aircraft involved in the accident.
Occurrence summary
Date	19 March 1998
Summary	Pilot error, controlled flight into terrain
Site	Sharki Baratayi Mountain
Passengers	35
Crew	10
Fatalities	45
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Boeing 727-228
Operator	Ariana Afghan Airlines
Registration	YA-FAZ
Flight origin	Sharjah International Airport, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Last stopover	Kandahar Airport, Kandahar, Afghanistan
Destination	Kabul International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan

The 1998 Ariana Afghan Airlines crash was a flight operated by an Ariana Boeing 727-200. The flight crashed on approach into Kabul killing all 45 aboard.

Accident

The flight departed the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Kabul on an unscheduled flight with a stop in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Whilst descending for Kabul International Airport, the flight struck the Sharki Baratayi Mountain at an altitude of 2,700 ft at 13:00 local time. The crash killed all 10 crew members and 35 passengers. The weather at the time of the accident was poor with snow and rain as well as poor visibility.

Aircraft

The flight was operated by a Boeing 727-228, registered YA-FAZ. The aircraft first flew on the 22 January 1981, meaning at the time of the accident, it was 17.2 years old.