Tehran | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

On final approach to Bandar Abbas Airport, the airplane was too low for undetermined reason when it struck the ground and came to rest in flames few dozen yards short of runway. Eleven passengers were killed while 17 other occupants were evacuated. The aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A Otter in the Zagros Mountains: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1962

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Operator:

Registration:

55-3317

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tehran – Dezful

MSN:

182

YOM:

1956

Location:

Mt Zagros

Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari

Country:

Iran

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 3,600 meters in poor weather conditions, the single engine aircraft crashed in the Zagros Mountains, some 500 km south of Tehran. The wreckage was found few days later and two passengers were evacuated seriously wounded by low temperatures. The three other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Maj Carter, pilot. †
Passengers:
Col Walter R. Johnson, †
Cpt Daniel Knotts, †
Col Vann,
Col John Porter.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Tehran: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tehran - Tehran

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training flight at Tehran consisting of material, equipment and soldiers dropping. The accident occurred in unknown circumstances, killing all nine occupants.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4 in Beyrouth: 24 killed

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1959

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-4

Operator:

Registration:

YA-BAG

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

London – Frankfurt – Beirut – Tehran – Kandahar – Kabul

MSN:

18367

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

FG202

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight from London to Kabul with several intermediate stops. The stopover at Beirut was longer than expected because few technical issues were noted after the airplane landed from Frankfurt. The departure from Beirut was postponed for 20 hours. Two minutes after departure from runway 18, while climbing, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Aramoun located about 5 km south of the airfield and burst into flames. Three passengers were seriously injured while all 24 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was attributed to a combination of:
- A navigational error in that the pilot did not right turn out as early as he should have, either because he forgot or because he was distracted by some unusual occurrence,
- A fire indication (or possibly a fire) in the number one engine which induced the pilot to start fire emergency action with a resulting reduction in the rate of turn and the rate of climb.

Crash of an Avro 685 York C.1 in Kuwait City: 32 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1959

Type of aircraft:

Avro 685 York

Operator:

Registration:

EP-ADE

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kuwait City – Tehran

MSN:

MW295

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Kuwait City Airport, while climbing, the four engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a desert area located 6,5 km from the airfield. The airplane was destroyed and all 32 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-118A Liftmaster in Azerbaijan

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1958

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-118 Liftmaster

Operator:

Registration:

51-3822

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Nicosia – Tehran

MSN:

43569

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Nicosia to Tehran, carrying a load of highly sensitive equipment for the CIA. Maybe following a navigational error, the four engine aircraft penetrated the Soviet Airspace over Armenia and was later attacked by the pilots of two Soviet MiG-17. The pilot of the C-118 was able to attempt an emergency landing in a field located somewhere in Azerbaijan (the exact place remains unclear). While the airplane was damaged beyond repair, all nine crew members were evacuated.

Probable cause:

Shot down by Soviet fighters.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL in Tehran: 27 killed

Date & Time: Dec 25, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

EP-ACJ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Abadan – Téhéran

MSN:

9692

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Tehran-Mehrabad Airport in limited visibility due to heavy fog, the crew was instructed by ATC to divert to Isfahan Airport. The pilot-in-command abandoned the approach and modified his route, while confirming to ATC that his fuel reserves were insufficient to cover the distance. Few minutes later, the crew informed ATC that he was short of fuel and elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a field located about 7 km from Mehrabad Airport. Rescuers arrived on scene two hours later and were able to evacuate two passengers who were seriously injured, all 27 other occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by a fuel exhaustion. The lack of visibility due to foggy conditions was considered as a contributory factor, as well as the fact that the crew miscalculated the necessary fuel quantity to possibly fly to an alternate airport.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Mashhad: 24 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Mashhad – Tehran

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances shortly after takeoff from Mashhad Airport, killing all 24 occupants.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Moth in Sabzevar

Date & Time: May 2, 1931

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Venetia Montagu

Registration:

G-ABFW

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tehran - Moscow

MSN:

1820

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Tehran to Moscow, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed near Sabzevar, bursting into flames. Both occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.