Narrative:
Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737-200 with 91 passengers and 15 crewmembers and security officers, was on a scheduled flight from Baghdad, Iraq, to Amman, Jordan.
About 55 minutes into the flight, while entering Saudi Arabian airspace at FL260 (8000 m), four hijackers tried to enter the cockpit. When Iraqi Airways security personnel tried to intervene, a hand grenade was thrown into the passenger cabin.
An emergency descent was initiated immediately. As the aircraft was descending through FL160, a hand grenade exploded in the cockpit. Approaching Arar, control was lost and the aircraft crash-landed, broke in two and caught fire.
Forced landing outside airport
» Aviation Letter 243
accident date: 25-12-1986
type: Boeing 737-270C
registration: YI-AGJ
accident date: 25-12-1986
type: Boeing 737-270C
registration: YI-AGJ
| Status: | |
| Date: | Thursday 25 December 1986 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-270C |
| Operator: | Iraqi Airways |
| Registration: | YI-AGJ |
| MSN: | 21183/446 |
| First flight: | 1976-01-15 (11 years) |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 15 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 60 / Occupants: 91 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 63 / Occupants: 106 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | near Arar ( Saudi Arabia)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Baghdad-Saddam International Airport (SDA/ORBS), Iraq |
| Amman-Queen Alia International Airport (AMM/OJAI), Jordan | |
| Flightnumber: | IA163 |
Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737-200 with 91 passengers and 15 crewmembers and security officers, was on a scheduled flight from Baghdad, Iraq, to Amman, Jordan.
About 55 minutes into the flight, while entering Saudi Arabian airspace at FL260 (8000 m), four hijackers tried to enter the cockpit. When Iraqi Airways security personnel tried to intervene, a hand grenade was thrown into the passenger cabin.
An emergency descent was initiated immediately. As the aircraft was descending through FL160, a hand grenade exploded in the cockpit. Approaching Arar, control was lost and the aircraft crash-landed, broke in two and caught fire.
Classification:
Hijack Forced landing outside airport
Sources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1986 / U.S. Department of Transport, FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security» Aviation Letter 243
Photos
accident date: 25-12-1986
type: Boeing 737-270C
registration: YI-AGJ
accident date: 25-12-1986
type: Boeing 737-270C
registration: YI-AGJ
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Baghdad-Saddam International Airport to Amman-Queen Alia International Airport as the crow flies is 786 km (491 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Baghdad-Saddam International Airport to Amman-Queen Alia International Airport as the crow flies is 786 km (491 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages: 
Saudi Arabia
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Boeing 737-200
- 1114 built
- 32nd loss
- 20th fatal accident
- 7th worst accident (at the time)
- 26th worst accident (currently)
Saudi Arabia- 5th worst accident (at the time)
- 7th worst accident (currently)
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