Boeing 737 accident near Bishkek, Kg, August 24, 2008
On August 24, 2008 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Boeing 737, registered EX009, was destroyed in an accident near Bishkek (Manas Airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 65 people were killed and 25 people had minor injuries.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2008 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan · Manas Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 65 people were killed and 25 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 219 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- EX009 · no longer on the register · serial 22088
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 24, 2008, at 20:40 local time, an Itek Air B737-200, registration EX-009, serial number 22088, crashed while returning back to Manas Airport. Shortly after take-off the flight crew reported that the cabin would not pressurize and they decided to return back to the airport. About 10 km from the airport, radar contact with the airplane was lost. The airplane collided with the ground and was destroyed by impact forces and fire. There were 6 crew members and 83 passengers on board; with 65 passengers fatalities reported. The aircraft accident investigation commission is headed by the Interstate Aviation Committee, Moscow (MAK).
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Itek Air
The flight
- Departed from: Bishkek
- Destination: Tehran
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 4 | |||
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 65 | 18 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.