4 fatalities

Cargo Aircraft Shot Down by Iranian F-14 During Descent to Baghdad (YI-AIO)

Baghdad, IraqLanding (descent or approach)

On September 23, 1980, an Ilyushin II-76 (registration YI-AIO) operated by Iraqi Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Baghdad, Iraq during landing or approach. 4 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Shot down by an Iranian Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A cargo aircraft was shot down by an Iranian Air Force F-14 Tomcat while descending to Baghdad Airport, killing all four occupants.

Incident Overview Following a routine cargo flight from Paris-Orly Airport, the aircraft began its descent toward Baghdad Airport. During this phase of flight, the airplane was shot down by an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter. The aircraft lost control and crashed in a large explosion, resulting in the deaths of all four people on board. ## Official Findings The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the aircraft being shot down by an Iranian Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter. No other factors were cited in the source material regarding the cause of the incident.