Circumstances
A four-engine aircraft was descending toward Tehran-Mehrabad Airport when air traffic control informed the crew that landing was not possible because of low visibility caused by snowfall. The aircraft was vectored into a holding pattern. After completing two holding circuits, the crew initiated a second approach. During this approach, the aircraft crashed approximately 10 kilometers west of the airport. All 22 occupants on board were killed.
Investigation
Investigators have considered the possibility that a loss of control resulted from fuel exhaustion, but this assumption has not been ruled out at this stage of the inquiry. No other contributing factors have been identified from the available information.