Investigation Summary
The accident involved a scheduled domestic passenger flight (Flight 962) and a formation of five IRIAF Su-24MK attack aircraft. Flight 962 was cleared by the Mehrabad departure controller to climb to 6,000 feet following its departure from runway 29R. Simultaneously, the military formation was entering the terminal area under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) to land on the parallel runway 29L. The investigation by the Iranian Civil Aviation Authority found that the air traffic controller failed to inform Flight 962 of the military traffic and, conversely, did not warn the military formation about the departing airliner. The Su-24MK was performing a left-hand 180-degree turn as part of a go-around or positioning maneuver when it struck the rear fuselage and tail assembly of the Tu-154M from behind. The impact severed the airliner's tail, causing an immediate loss of control. Both aircraft disintegrated upon impact with the ground at an army depot. The lack of a formal coordination protocol between civilian and military controllers for special event rehearsals was cited as a systemic failure.
Final Conclusions
The primary causes were attributed to Air Traffic Control (ATC) error and pilot error by the Su-24 crew. The controller allowed the military formation to operate in close proximity to the civilian departure corridor without adequate separation. The Su-24 pilots failed to maintain visual sight of the climbing airliner during their maneuver. The collision resulted in the total loss of both aircraft and remains one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Iranian history.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Iran Airtour 962 — Tupolev Tu-154M · EP-ITD
Crew Experience
Captain
Systems & Failure Modes
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
The military aircraft were operating under VFR, which requires pilots to 'see and avoid' other traffic, a task made difficult by the high-speed maneuvers.
Air Traffic Control (ATC)
The Mehrabad controller was responsible for separating the departing civilian flight from the incoming military formation.
Interesting Facts
- 01The Tu-154 was piloted by a Russian captain with 12,000 flight hours.
- 02The Su-24 was returning from an Air Force Day flypast rehearsal.
- 03The collision occurred approximately 9.4 miles (15 km) from Mehrabad Airport.
- 04Both aircraft crashed into an Iranian army depot in the town of Shahr-e Qods.
- 05Most of the 119 passengers on the airliner were pilgrims traveling to the holy city of Mashhad.
- 06The accident was the deadliest aviation event worldwide in 1993.
Safety Actions & Advisories
ATC Coordination Improvements
The accident led to stricter protocols regarding the separation of military display flights and scheduled civilian traffic at Mehrabad International Airport.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikidata coordinate.