2003 Iran (IIRG) Il-76 crash

2003 Iran Ilyushin Il-76 crash

An Ilyushin Il-76 similar to the one involved in the accident
Accident summary
Date 19 February 2003 (2003-02-19)
Summary CFIT due to pilot error during descent in poor weather
Site 35 km (22 mi) SE of Kerman
Passengers 257
Crew 18
Fatalities 275 (all)
Survivors 0
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

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 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

Notes and references

Notes

  1. It was initially declared that there were 302 people on board.[3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Accident description for 15-2280 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 24 November 2014.
  2. Fog halts Iran air crash search at the Wayback Machine (archived 4 February 2007)
  3. 1 2 Iranian plane crash kills 302 at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 August 2007)
  4. "Iran plane crash kills 302". BBC News. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013.
  5. "List of the 100 worst aviation occurrences (including criminal occurrences), excluding ground fatalities, including collision fatalities". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Archived 24 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "RFE/RL Iran Report". IranReport. globalsecurity.org. 24 February 2003. Archived 9 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
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