Black boxes from Bishkek plane crash sent to Moscow

By Nezir Aliyev

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AA) – Two black boxes from a cargo plane which crashed Monday near the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek were sent to Moscow Thursday for investigation, the Kyrgyz Prime Ministry said.

The Prime Ministry Press Office said in a statement that experts from the Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee will investigate the flight recorders to find the reason for the crash.

Kyrgyz Transport Minister Jamshitbek Kalilov Wednesday confirmed an investigation at the crash site had begun.

Kalilov told reporters the investigation commission included six experts who had started work in the Dacha-Suu neighborhood where the cargo plane came down.

The ACT Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Istanbul via Bishkek crashed as it came in to land at 7.31 a.m. local time (0131GMT) on Monday.

Thirty-eight people, including Capt. Ibrahim Gurcan Diranci, co-pilot Kazim Ondul, loading expert Melih Aslan, and Flight Technician Ihsan Koca, died in the crash.

Meanwhile, the bodies of Diranci, Ondul, and Koca were returned to Turkey on Thursday, the press office said.

Aslan's body will be sent later to Turkey, it added.