Investigation Summary
The flight from Tehran was characterized by several critical deviations from standard operating procedures. The crew decided to load an additional five tons of fuel, which significantly increased the aircraft's weight and required landing distance. Upon arrival at Mahshahr, the pilots opted to land on Runway 13 despite a tailwind that further complicated the landing profile. The approach became unstabilized, with the aircraft maintaining excessive speed. Rather than performing a mandatory go-around, the captain continued the landing, touching down long on the runway. The MD-83 could not stop within the remaining pavement, crashed through the airport perimeter fence, and slid onto the Mahshahr-Sarbandar Expressway. The landing gear collapsed during the excursion, and the airframe suffered substantial structural damage, leading investigators to declare it a total loss.
Final Conclusions
The Iran Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) released its final report on 1 September 2020, concluding the accident was caused by crew errors including poor decision-making regarding high-speed landings, deficient Crew Resource Management (CRM), and the failure to initiate a go-around. Contributory factors included the decision to land with a tailwind on Runway 13, the unnecessary carriage of five extra tons of fuel, and the First Officer's failure to intervene or take control when the approach became unsafe.
Video Analysis
Crashing Into A Busy Highway | Caspian Airlines Flight 6936 — On 27 January 2020, Caspian Airlines Flight 6936 overran the runway on landing at Mahshahr Airport, Iran, ending up on a public expressway.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
64-year-old male, former Kish Air and Iranian Navy pilot.
First Officer
28-year-old male.
Systems & Failure Modes
Landing Gear
The undercarriage collapsed during the runway excursion as the aircraft transitioned from the runway surface to the uneven terrain and the expressway.
Crew Resource Management (CRM)
Investigators cited a breakdown in CRM, specifically the First Officer's inability to challenge the Captain's decision to continue an unstabilized approach.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft stopped 90 meters beyond the paved end of the runway stopway, which was approximately 170 meters past the end of the runway proper.
- 02The crew had loaded five extra tons of fuel, which increased the landing weight and required distance.
- 03The landing was conducted with a tailwind on Runway 13.
- 04The aircraft was declared a total loss due to substantial structural damage.
- 05The captain had over 7,800 hours of experience on the MD-80 series.
- 06There were 144 total occupants on board, consisting of 135 passengers and 9 crew members.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Pilot Training Mandate
The Iran CAO issued recommendations for additional training for pilots and dispatchers regarding high-speed landing risks and stabilized approach criteria.
Airport Infrastructure Review
Mahshahr Airport was directed to review instrument approach procedures and check for obstacles within airport infrastructure.
ATS Coordination Training
Recommendations were made to provide training guidelines for Air Traffic Service personnel regarding coordination between units.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the entered by an editor.