Incident Overview
Approximately 50 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 26,000 feet in Saudi Arabian airspace, four hijackers entered the cockpit and forced the crew to divert the aircraft to Tehran. During the ensuing confusion, a first grenade exploded in the passenger cabin. The crew then decided to divert to Arar for an emergency landing. As the aircraft approached Arar, a second grenade exploded in the cockpit.
Final Approach and Crash
On final approach to the runway, the aircraft went out of control and crashed approximately 800 meters short of the runway. Upon impact, the aircraft burst into flames and was subsequently destroyed. Of the occupants, 43 suffered injuries, while 63 others were killed.
Official Findings
The probable cause of the accident, as stated by the official investigation, is that the aircraft crashed on final approach after being hijacked.