2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 crash
 An Ilyushin Il-76 similar to the one involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 February 2003 |
| Summary | CFIT due to pilot error during descent in poor weather |
| Site | 35 km (22 mi) SE of Kerman |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Ilyushin Il-76MD |
| Operator | Aerospace Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution |
| Registration | 15-2280 |
| Flight origin | Zahedan Airport |
| Destination | Kerman Airport |
| Passengers | 257 |
| Crew | 18 |
| Fatalities | 275 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
The 2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 crash occurred on 19 February 2003, when an Ilyushin Il-76 crashed in mountainous terrain near Kerman in Iran. The Aerospace Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution aircraft, registration 15-2280, was flying from Zahedan to Kerman when it crashed 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of Kerman.[1] The aircraft was carrying members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, a special force that is independent from the Iranian Army, on an unknown mission.[2]
Strong winds were reported in the region of the crash when the aircraft disappeared from the radar screens; approximately at the same time, villagers in the area described hearing a loud explosion.[3] There were no survivors among the 275 occupants on board the aircraft.[1][nb 1] As of November 2014[update] the crash, the third of an Il-76 in Iran, remains the deadliest on Iranian soil and the worst crash of an Il-76;[1] it is also the ninth-deadliest aviation accident of all time.[5]
Cause
There was speculation that the accident was the result of a mid-air collision due to the high number of fatalities (the Il-76 normally carries fewer than 200 passengers). A terrorist organization called the Abu-Bakr Brigades also claimed responsibility for the crash.[6]
See also
- 2005 Iranian Air Force C-130 crash
- Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision, involving an Il-76 and a Boeing 747; and with a higher loss of life
Notes and references
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Accident description for 15-2280 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 24 November 2014.
- ^ Fog halts Iran air crash search at the Wayback Machine (archived 4 February 2007)[dead link]
- ^ a b Iranian plane crash kills 302 at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 August 2007)[dead link]
- ^ "Iran plane crash kills 302". BBC News. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "List of the 100 worst aviation occurrences (including criminal occurrences), excluding ground fatalities, including collision fatalities". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "RFE/RL Iran Report". IranReport. globalsecurity.org. 24 February 2003. Archived from the original on 21 July 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
- "No survivors in Iran plane crash". BBC News. 20 February 2003. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - Fathi, Nazila (21 February 2003). "Storm Hinders Iranian Crews Sent to Search Site of Crash". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
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