119 fatalities

2002-02-12: Iran Air Tours Flight 956 — Iran

Iran

On February 12, 2002, an Iran Air Tours Flight 956 was involved in an aviation accident near Iran. 119 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck a mountain during a non-precision approach to the runway. This summary draws on records from Wikidata contributors; 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesWikidata contributorsPrimary reportUpdated 1780111919Data APIEditorial standards

A Tupolev Tu-154M operated by Iran Air Tours crashed into a mountain during an approach to Khorramabad Airport in February 2002, resulting in no survivors.

What happened

On 12 February 2002, an Iran Air Tours flight, identified as Flight 956, crashed while attempting to land at Khorramabad Airport. The aircraft, a Tupolev Tu-154M, was performing a non-precision approach to runway 11 when it struck the Kuh-e Sefid Mountain. The impact occurred at an altitude of approximately 9,100 feet, roughly three nautical miles to the left of the runway centerline. The crash took place about 230 miles southwest of Tehran.

Fatalities

The accident resulted in the deaths of all 119 people on board, consisting of 107 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the passengers were four government officials. This event is noted as one of the most significant aviation disasters in Iranian history.

Probable cause

The aircraft struck a mountain during a non-precision approach to the runway.

Contributing factors

controlled flight into terrain