Crash of an Airbus A300C4-620 in Rhodes

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1999 at 1210 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A6-PFD
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dubai - Rhodes
MSN:
374
YOM:
1985
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
19
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
252
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Dubai, the crew completed the approach to Rhodes-Diagoras Airport in rain falls and strong winds. The aircraft landed at a speed of 166 knots, about 22 knots above Vref. After touchdown, the ground spoilers did not deploy automatically because they had not been armed. Consequently the auto brake system, which operates by the deployment of spoilers, did not activate. The crew attempted manual braking but this operation was too late and the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest few dozen metres further. All 271 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Antonov AN-124-100 near Kerman: 17 killed

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1993 at 1907 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
RA-82071
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Dubai - Kerman - Tashkent
MSN:
435913
YOM:
1993
Flight number:
ATL051
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Aircraft flight hours:
116
Circumstances:
Completing its first commercial flight, the aircraft was returning to Tashkent on a ferry flight from Dubai with three passengers and 14 crew members on board. A fuel stop at Kerman was scheduled. On approach to Kerman, while in the holding pattern, the crew transmitted to ATC conflicting information about their position. In the meantime, he failed to follow the flight track in the holding pattern, causing a deviation from the prescribed route of 47 km to the north. After being cleared to descend to runway 34 from 8,200 metres to 5,200 metres in limited visibility, the crew followed an opposite route. After passing over the airfield, the crew started the descent from 3,300 metres, but failed to complete a standard turn and departed the approach path, flying towards the mountains up to 4,100 metres, with a deviation to the south of the airport by 43.5 km. Four minutes later, while completing a left turn to join the approach path at an unsafe altitude, the radio altimeter sounded in the cockpit. At a speed of about 385 km/h, the aircraft collided with Mt Jupar (3,400 metres high) located about 37 km southeast of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 17 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The Commission found that during the descent from the flight level for the approach, the crew incorrectly made the decision to approach according to the ALMEK-1A scheme (erroneously proposed by the controller of the Kerman aerodrome with violation of the meteorological minimum); making a mistake in determining his position during the approach (report 'following on the VOR Kerman', while the aircraft was actually moving away from the VOR); could not withstand the speed and flight time established for this scheme. Presumably, the crew did not use the airborne radar in the 'mountain' mode, made a mistake in determining their location due to the 180° pointer indication of the current value of the VOR beacon bearing on the PNP, as well as the large (more than a year) interruption in flights on the MVL on the plane An-124-100. ATC based at Kerman Airport did not respond to conflicting messages from the crew, transmitted at an interval of 9 seconds ('our distance is 20 miles' and 'standing in the area above Kerman') and offered the crew an approach pattern with a violation of the minimum.

Crash of an Airbus A300B-2-203 off Qeshm Island: 290 killed

Date & Time: Jul 3, 1988 at 1024 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EP-IBU
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bandar Abbas – Dubai
MSN:
186
YOM:
1982
Flight number:
IR655
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
16
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
274
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
290
Captain / Total flying hours:
7000
Captain / Total hours on type:
2057.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
220
Copilot / Total hours on type:
708
Aircraft flight hours:
11497
Circumstances:
Flight IR451 arrived at Bandar Abbas (BND) from Tehran (THR) at 08:40. The Airbus A300 was to continue to Dubai (DXB) as flight IR655. Prior to departure the crew received an enroute clearance to Dubai via the flight planned route A59 and A59W at FL140. The flight took off from runway 21 at 10:17 hours and climbed straight ahead. Two minutes later, the crew reported leaving 3500 feet for FL140 on Airway A59, estimating MOBET at 06:53 UTC (10:23 Iran time). At 10:24:00 the aircraft passed MOBET out of FL120. At 10:24:43 two Airbus was hit by surface-to-air missiles. The tail and one wing broke off as a result of the explosions. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed into the sea. The missiles were fired by the US Navy cruiser USS Vincennes. It was operating in the area together with the frigates USS Elmer Montgomery and USS John H. Sides. They were to protect other ships in the area. At about the time the Airbus took off, the radar aboard the USS Vincennes picked up a brief IFF mode 2 response, which led to the mistaken identification of the Airbus as a hostile F-14 aircraft. The USS Vincennes issued 7 challenges on the Military Air Distress (MAD) frequency 243 MHz, addressed to 'Iranian aircraft', 'Iranian fighter' or 'Iranian F-14'. These messages were followed by three challenges on the IAD (International Air Defence) radio frequency. Due to increasing tension in the area - on May 17, 1987 an Iraqi Mirage had attacked USS Stark - all aircraft in the area had to monitor 121.5 Mhz: the International Air Defence - IAD radio frequency. There was no response. Meanwhile radar operators were monitoring the Aegis screens. They reported that the incoming plane was descending with an increasing speed. In fact, the Airbus was climbing. Considering itself and USS Montgomery under aggression, USS Vincennes took the ultimate decision to launch missiles against the perceived hostile target at 10:24:22.
It remains uncertain whether the IR655 flight crew (only able to monitor the IAD, not the MAD frequencies) would have been able to rapidly identify their flight as the subject of the challenges made by the USS Vincennes.
Probable cause:
The aircraft was perceived as a military aircraft with hostile intentions and was destroyed by two surface-to-air missiles.
Final Report:

Crash of a Canadair CL-44-D4-1 in Akrotiri

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1980
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5B-DAN
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dubai - Larnaca
MSN:
30
YOM:
1962
Flight number:
CY205
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful cargo flight (service CY205) from Dubai, the crew started the descent to Larnaca Airport when the pilot informed ATC about the failure of the left main gear that remained stuck in its wheel well. The crew was instructed to divert to RAF Akrotiri where the emergency services have been dispatched and the runway covered with foam. The crew completed a belly landing and after touchdown, the airplane slid for few hundred meters before coming to rest. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Boeing 747-237B off Mumbai: 213 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1978 at 2041 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VT-EBD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bombay - Dubaï
MSN:
19959
YOM:
1971
Flight number:
AI855
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
23
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
190
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
213
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport runway 27, while climbing by night at an altitude of 2,400 feet, the captain contacted ATC and wished a Happy New Year. He was cleared to climb to 8,000 feet and initiated a turn to the right according to departure procedures. Once the turn was finished and the aircraft was leveling, the captain realized his Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) was still showing a right-bank indication. The copilot confirmed his ADI was correct and the flight engineer noticed the difference between the captain's ADI and the third ADI system. Despite these two confirmation, the captain started a turn to the left as he thought the aircraft was still in a right-bank attitude. The airplane entered a left turn to an angle of 40° then until an excessive angle of 108° when control was lost. From an altitude of 2,000 feet, the airplane entered a dive and crashed into the Arabian Sea. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 213 occupants were killed. Most of the debris were found in shallow water about 3 km offshore. Control was lost as the pilot-in-command was flying over the sea by night without any visual references with the ground.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of this accident was due to the irrational control wheel inputs given by the captain following complete unawareness of the attitude of the aircraft on his part after Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) had malfunctioned. The crew failed to gain control based on the other flight instruments. He had failed to determine the attitude of the aircraft with the associated flight instruments including Standby Horizon Indicator. The co-pilot had failed to monitor the flight instruments and did not render any assistance to the captain in ascertaining the attitude of the aircraft.

Crash of a Boeing 720-023B near Al Qaysumah: 82 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1976 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
OD-AFT
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Beirut - Dubai - Muscat
MSN:
18020/165
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
ME438
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
15
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
67
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
82
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way from Beirut to Dubai, cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet by night when it disappeared from radar screens at 0530LT. The crew was unable to send any distress call. The wreckage was later found about 37 km northwest of Al Qaysumah, in the Saudi desert. Debris scattered on a wide area and none of the 82 occupants survived the crash.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was the consequence of the explosion of a bomb that has been placed in the front cargo compartment. The detonation at high altitude caused an explosive decompression of the cabin and the total disintegration of the airplane.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE.210 Caravelle 10B3 near Fujairah: 112 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1972 at 2004 LT
Operator:
Registration:
OY-STL
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Colombo – Bombay – Dubai – Ankara – Copenhagen
MSN:
267
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
NB296
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
106
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
112
Captain / Total flying hours:
6600
Captain / Total hours on type:
58.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3785
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1400
Aircraft flight hours:
6674
Aircraft flight cycles:
2373
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Bombay at 33,000 feet, the crew contacted Dubai control to obtain the latest weather bulletin: wind from 040° at 8 knots, visibility 10 km and 5/8 clouds at 2,000 feet. Approaching via radial 084, the crew was informed he will be able to start the descent at 1955LT. However, at 1949LT (six minutes too early), the crew informed ATC he was ready for the descent as his position was 95 NM from Dubai. At that moment, the plane was in fact 162 NM from the destination but the crew was not aware of it. After being cleared to descend at 4,000 feet, pilots were informed that they may choose either Runway 30 or 12, to which they respond that they will attempt a direct approach on Runway 30. By night, the captain thought he was seeing the lights of the city of Dubai when they are actually those of Fujairah located 95 km east. Despite that the crew had difficulties to tune into NDB frequency, the crew continued the descent when, at an altitude of 1,600 feet, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain. The wreckage was about 92 kilometers east of Dubai Airport. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 112 occupants were killed, among them 74 Danish whom six crew members, 20 Swedish, 12 Norwegians, four Finns and two West Germans.
Probable cause:
At the time of the accident, weather conditions were not bad but the presence of clouds and reduced visibility by night hampered the crew in their ground recognition. The use of a flight plan with errors and outdated information or a misreading of the weather radar settings or the combination of both allowed the crew to start the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to approach below the prescribed minimum altitude. A succession of errors within the crew during the descent also allowed the aircraft to be too far to the north from the approach path as the wreckage was located 33 kilometers north to the runway 30 approach path. The fact that pilots visually mistaken the cities of Fujairah and Dubai remained a contributing factor.
Final Report: