What happened
On the morning of the accident, an ATR72 operated by Iran Aseman Airlines was performing a scheduled domestic service from Tehran Mehrabad International Airport to Yasuj. The flight, identified by registration EP-ATS, departed Tehran at 04:35 UTC. This was the initial flight of the day for both the airframe and the flight crew.
During the cruise phase, the aircraft maintained an altitude of FL210 while navigating airway W144. The crew reported no operational irregularities during this period. While communicating with Tehran ACC, the first officer contacted Yasuj tower to obtain the most recent weather updates for the destination. Following this, the crew requested a descent from FL210 to FL170.
As the aircraft descended through FL170 and the crew established contact with Yasuj tower, the descent continued past the requested altitude down to 15,000 feet. The flight was cleared to join the overhead position for a circling NDB approach to land on runway 31. However, at approximately 06:01 UTC, the aircraft struck a peak on the lee side of the Dena Mountains, roughly 8.5 miles north of the airport. The impact occurred at an altitude of about 13,300 feet, leading to the complete destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- The aircraft struck terrain while descending toward the destination.
- The collision occurred at an altitude of approximately 13,300 feet.