Military plane crashed in South-Kazakhstan oblast

An aircraft crashed in South-Kazakhstan Oblast of Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the Emergency Situations Department of South-Kazakhstan Oblast. According to the authority, the accident happened at around 07:55 p.m. on December 25 in Sairam region of the oblast, 20km from Shymkent airport. Kazakhstan's KTK television said the plane fell from a height of 800 meters. The AN-72 aircraft had 7 crew members, 20 militarymen, including head of the Border Control Service of Kazakhstan National Security Commission Turhanbek Stambekov onboard. Turganbek Stambekov was appointed acting head of the Border Control Service of Kazakhstan National Security Commission in June 2012, right after the deputy chairman of the National Security Commission Nurzhan Myrzaliyev resigned after an incident at Arkankergen border post. A criminal case has been initiated in relation to the crash of AN-72 plane in South-Kazakhstan oblast, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the Senior Military Prosecutor’s office. “The military prosecutor of Shymkent military post has initiated the criminal case on article 392 of Kazakhstan Criminal Code for Violation of flight rules and rules of preparation for flights. An investigation is underway,” the message states. An inter-authority commission on investigation of aviation incidents is currently working at the accident site. Chairman of the National Security Commission Nurtai Abykayev has left for Shymkent. Footage of the crash site aired by Kazakhstan's Channel 7 showed only fragments of the An-72 military transport plane on the ground. Khabar state television also cited local witnesses as saying that a heavy winter storm had descended the region at the time of the crash. The AN-72 military plane was manufactured in December 1990. In 2012 it underwent restoration maintenance at KB Antonov aircraft repair plant in Ukraine. The plane’s crew was made of well-experienced military pilots and engineers. Kazakhstan National Security Commission later published a list of victims of the plane crash. The victims include head of the Border Control Service of Kazakhstan National Security Commission Turganbek Stambekov and a group of officers of the service’s central office, as well as militarymen of the Regional Department Ontustyk that took part in the meeting of the Military Council of the Border Control Service on December 25 in Astana. The commanding officers of the Border Control Service was dispatched to Shymkent to hold a Military Council in the Regional Department Ontustyk to sum up the results of 2012. The list of victims: Captain – Major Marat Nurakhmetov Flight navigator – Major Oleg Golubev Senior air mechanic – Captain Marat Ussenov Assistant commander – Senior Lieutenant Aslan Lukpanov Senior air mechanic – Warrant Officer Aleksander Vologzhanin Senior air mechanic – Sergeant Renat Myssayev Flight attendant – Sergeant Gulnur Dolanbayeva Director of Border Control Service of Kazakhstan National Security Commission Colonel Turganbek Satambekov Acting Head of the Senior Office of the Border Control Service Colonel Yergali Nurlashev Acting Head of Ontustyk Regional Department Colonel Pavel Dotsenko Deputy Head of Ontustyk Regional Department colonel Kairat Bazarbayev Head of Department of Border Control Service Colonel Kanatbek Kabdylgazezov Head of Department of Border Control Service Colonel Yerlan Makhayev Senior consultant of Border Control Service Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandr Dmitriyev Head of Staff of Lenger Border Control Department Lieutenant Colonel Valeriy Kusch Head of Engineer Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Baurzhan Kozhakhmetov Head of Merke Border Control Department Major Almaz Ibrayev Head of Commandant’s Office for Security and Provision of the Border Service Lieutenant Colonel Saulebai Dossybekov Heads of the border troops of Ontustyk Regional Department: Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Rakhman Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandr Rakhman Lieutenant Colonel Kairat Mukhamadiyev Lieutenant Colonel Amanbek Shukanov Lieutenant Colonel Assuan Aitmanbetov Militarymen of Ontustyk Regional Department: Senior Lieutenant Anatoliy Filipko Staff Sergeant Maksat Konakbai Junior Sergeant Pavel Vyazikov Stambekova Saule (Turganbek Stambekov's wife) was also onboard.