Accident description
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| Status: | Preliminary |
| Date: | 15 JUL 2009 |
| Time: | 11:33 |
| Type: | Tupolev 154M |
| Operator: | Caspian Airlines |
| Registration: | EP-CPG |
| C/n / msn: | 87A-748 |
| First flight: | 1987 |
| Engines: | 3 Soloviev D-30KU-154-II |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 156 / Occupants: 156 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 168 / Occupants: 168 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 12 km (7.5 mls) S of Qazvin (Iran)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA/OIIE), Iran |
| Yerevan Airport (EVN/UDYZ), Armenia | |
| Flightnumber: | 7908 |
A Caspian Airlines Tupolev 154M passenger plane was destroyed when it struck terrain near Qazvin, 16 minutes after takeoff. The airplane was en route from Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA), Iran to Yerevan Airport (EVN), Armenia.
The Tupolev 154 was in normal operation at 34000 feet altitude. Three minutes before the crash, the plane suddenly turned 270 degrees and entered a rapid descent to 14000 feet in just 90 seconds (which would be an average of 222 feet/sec, 67m/sec). Air traffic controllers attempted to contact the flight, but there was no response. They asked two Iran Air an Aseman Airlines flights that were in the area to contact Flight 7908, but these attempts failed too.
The airplane exploded on impact and disintegrated, creating a 10 m deep crater with small pieces of debris scattered around the impact area.
Events:
Sources:
» CNN
» IRNA
» FARS
» Caspian Airlines
Statistics
64th loss of a Tupolev 154
4th worst accident involving a Tupolev 154 (at the time)
4th worst accident involving a Tupolev 154 (currently)
2nd worst accident in Iran (at the time)
2nd worst accident in Iran (currently) » figures explained
4th worst accident involving a Tupolev 154 (at the time)
4th worst accident involving a Tupolev 154 (currently)
2nd worst accident in Iran (at the time)
2nd worst accident in Iran (currently) » figures explained
Photos
Video/animation
Aircraft history
| date | registration | operator | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 APR 1987 | YA-TAR | Bakhtar Afghan | delivered |
| YA-TAR | Ariana Afghan | ||
| 1998 | YA-TAR | Caspian Airlines | leased |
| MAR 1998 | EP-CPG | Caspian Airlines | registered |
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 Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA/OIIE) to Yerevan Airport (EVN/UDYZ) as the crow flies is 788 km (492 miles).
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.
Distance from Tehran-Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA/OIIE) to Yerevan Airport (EVN/UDYZ) as the crow flies is 788 km (492 miles).
