The pilot of the medical aircraft that made an emergency landing on its roof in a water body near Arkalyk in the Kostanay region has been held administratively liable, reports Tengrinews.kz citing "Nasha Gazeta".
In early May last year, an An-2 plane, conducting a medical flight from Arkalyk to Aksunkar, lost altitude shortly after takeoff and slid into a water body from melting snow near Arkalyk. During this incident, the aircraft flipped onto its roof.
There were 2 crew members and 3 passengers on board, including a patient with a myocardial infarction.
The administrative offense case against the aircraft commander Ch. and the co-pilot A. was examined under part 1 of Article 560 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan - violation of flight operation rules, if these actions inadvertently caused minor harm to the health of the victim.
"It was established that on May 3, 2024, the An-2 aircraft, while on the runway of Arkalyk airfield, overturned onto its roof during takeoff, completing a full flip. There were 5 people on board, including 2 pilots, a doctor, a paramedic, and a patient. There were no casualties. According to the forensic examination, commander Ch., and citizens N. and S. sustained minor injuries, while pilot A. and citizen B. had no bodily injuries," the Kostanay regional court's press service reported.
The agency added that the commission's conclusion determined that "the incident occurred due to the main landing gear wheels touching the surface of melting water during takeoff, which led to a complete flip."
Moreover, the agency emphasized that, according to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the Use of Airspace of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Aviation Activities," the aircraft commander is responsible for ensuring compliance with flight rules and aircraft operation regardless of whether they are piloting the aircraft or not, maintaining discipline and order on board, adhering to behavioral rules on the aircraft, and taking measures to ensure the safety of those on board, as well as the preservation of the aircraft, cargo, and property.
During the court session, the aircraft commander Ch. fully admitted guilt, expressed remorse for the actions taken, and confirmed the circumstances stated in the administrative offense protocol. The court initially imposed a fine of 30 MRP (117,960 tenge) but deemed it possible to reduce the fine by 20 percent, bringing it down to 88,608 tenge.
"An additional penalty was also imposed on Ch. in the form of a six-month suspension of the right to operate an aircraft (air traffic service, technical maintenance of the aircraft). The case against co-pilot A. was terminated due to the absence of an administrative offense in his actions," noted the Kostanay regional court.
It is worth mentioning that after the incident, the patient was transported to the hospital, and the air ambulance crew was unharmed.
