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 NurakhmetovFlight navigator – Major Oleg GolubevSenior air mechanic – Captain Marat UssenovAssistant commander – Senior Lieutenant Aslan LukpanovSenior air mechanic – Warrant Officer Aleksander VologzhaninSenior air mechanic – Sergeant Renat MyssayevFlight attendant – Sergeant Gulnur DolanbayevaDirector of Border Control Service of Kazakhstan National Security Commission Colonel Turganbek SatambekovActing Head of the Senior Office of the Border Control Service Colonel Yergali NurlashevActing Head of Ontustyk Regional Department Colonel Pavel DotsenkoDeputy Head of Ontustyk Regional Department colonel Kairat BazarbayevHead of Department of Border Control Service Colonel Kanatbek KabdylgazezovHead of Department of Border Control Service Colonel Yerlan MakhayevSenior consultant of Border Control Service Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandr DmitriyevHead of Staff of Lenger Border Control Department Lieutenant Colonel Valeriy KuschHead of Engineer Battalion Lieutenant Colonel Baurzhan KozhakhmetovHead of Merke Border Control Department Major Almaz IbrayevHead of Commandant’s Office for Security and Provision of the Border Service Lieutenant Colonel Saulebai DossybekovHeads of the border troops of Ontustyk Regional Department:Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav RakhmanLieutenant Colonel Aleksandr RakhmanLieutenant Colonel Kairat MukhamadiyevLieutenant Colonel Amanbek ShukanovLieutenant Colonel Assuan AitmanbetovMilitarymen of Ontustyk Regional Department:Senior Lieutenant Anatoliy FilipkoStaff Sergeant Maksat KonakbaiJunior Sergeant Pavel VyazikovStambekova Saule (Turganbek Stambekov's wife) was also onboard.