What happened
On the morning of the accident, a three-engine aircraft departed from Tehran-Mehrabad Airport at 06:45 local time. The flight was operating as a charter service destined for Gorgan, transporting several members of the Iranian parliament and government officials who were traveling to attend the inauguration of a new airport.
During the flight, air traffic control notified the crew that weather conditions at the intended destination in Gorgan had worsened significantly. Consequently, the flight crew received instructions to divert the flight to Sari Airport instead.
As the aircraft began its descent toward Sari under marginal weather conditions, the crew did not maintain a sufficient altitude. The aircraft subsequently collided with a mountain slope situated approximately 20 km south of the airport. The impact caused the plane to disintegrate, resulting in 30 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
Investigations into the crash indicated that the crew failed to maintain a safe altitude while navigating through deteriorating weather conditions during the diversion to Sari.