What happened
During pre-flight preparations at Tehran-Mehrabad Airport, the flight crew conducted a standard walk-around inspection. Due to light snowfall and outside air temperatures near freezing, the co-pilot requested deicing services for the aircraft. However, because several other planes were already queued for the service, the captain elected to depart without performing deicing procedures.
At 07:31 local time, the crew received clearance to begin the takeoff roll. Shortly after leaving the ground, the aircraft began an unstable lateral motion, oscillating from left to right. During this period, the plane lost altitude, causing the left wing to strike the ground. The impact resulted in a crash landing, after which the aircraft caught fire.
Findings
- The decision to take off without deicing despite freezing temperatures and active snowfall was a critical factor in the accident.