Investigation Summary
The flight was a multi-leg scheduled service from Prague to Tehran, with stops in Damascus and Baghdad. The approach to Damascus was conducted in clear weather with good visibility. The co-pilot was the Pilot Flying for this leg, while the captain was reportedly in a relaxed state, which some secondary sources later alleged was due to alcohol consumption. The aircraft was cleared for a VOR approach to runway 23R and acknowledged the QNH pressure setting of 1010 mb. Shortly after this final communication, the aircraft struck the ground at an elevation of 605 meters above sea level. The investigation was hampered by limited cooperation between the involved national authorities during the Cold War era. According to reports cited by Tiscali and the YouTube documentary, both flight recorders were destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire, though this was not explicitly confirmed in all official summaries. While technical failure was not indicated by air traffic control tapes or wreckage analysis, the lack of recorder data left the exact reason for the altitude deviation undetermined.
Final Conclusions
The official investigation concluded that the probable cause could not be determined. The aircraft impacted terrain while in a normal flight configuration during the final approach phase. While no official report definitively blamed the crew, the circumstances strongly suggest Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) resulting from either altimeter missetting or a failure to monitor altitude.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
The Crash of CSA Flight 540 — An analysis of the history of CSA Flight 540, the Ilyushin Il-62, and the circumstances surrounding Syria's deadliest aviation accident.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Ján Gajdoš, aged 54.
First Officer
Stanislav Žižka, aged 50. He was the Pilot Flying at the time of the accident.
Systems & Failure Modes
Radio Altimeter
Investigators speculated that the crew may not have had their radio altimeters turned on or were not monitoring them during the descent.
Flight Recorders
The Il-62 was equipped with flight recorders, but they were reportedly destroyed, preventing a reconstruction of the cockpit environment or flight parameters.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident remains the deadliest aviation disaster in Syrian history.
- 02Both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire.
- 03The aircraft was named 'Brno Trade Fair', had the manufacturer serial number (MSN) 31502, and had only 4,000 airframe hours at the time of the crash.
- 04Two passengers survived the impact: a Syrian man and a four-year-old Czechoslovak girl.
- 05A third survivor, a one-year-old boy, died while being transported to the hospital.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Flight Recorder Survivability
The total destruction of both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder in the post-impact fire highlighted the need for improved crashworthiness and fire protection for flight recording equipment to ensure accident causes can be determined.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Allegations of Pilot Impairment
Reference ↗Post-mortem reports cited by secondary sources alleged that Captain Gajdoš had traces of alcohol in his system and was in a state of drowsiness, potentially failing to supervise the First Officer.
Syrian Investigative Secrecy
Reference ↗Czechoslovak and Soviet investigators reportedly faced significant restrictions from Syrian authorities, including being barred from inspecting passenger luggage and certain debris.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · AIRPORT LEVEL · Coordinates are the estimate published in the wikidata coordinate. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.