2009 Iranian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 accident
| Company type | Military aircraft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace / Military aviation |
| Founded | April 2008 (entered operational service in Iran) |
| Headquarters | Iran |
| Products | Airborne early warning and control aircraft |
Template:Infobox Aircraft accident
The 2009 Iranian Air Force Il-76MD Adnan 2 crash took place on 22 September 2009, when an Ilyushin Il-76MD Adnan 2 went down during a flypast near Tehran. Conflicting reports exist regarding the cause: some claim a mid-air collision occurred involving an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Northrop F-5E Tiger II or a HESA Saeqeh, while others suggest that the aircraft’s radome detached amid an emergency landing attempt following an engine fire, striking and detaching the tail assembly. This accident led to the loss of all seven crew members aboard and destroyed Iran’s sole operational airborne early warning and control (AWACS) platform.
Accident
On 22 September 2009, a military parade took place in Tehran commemorating the onset of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War. The event also served as a farewell for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on the following day. The parade included an aerial display by the Iranian Air Force featuring the AWACS-equipped Ilyushin Il-76MD alongside fighter jets such as the Northrop F-5E Tiger II and HESA Saeqeh aircraft.
Accounts vary on what triggered the crash. One version reports that an engine fire erupted, prompting the crew to attempt an emergency landing at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport runway 29L. During this maneuver, the radome reportedly separated from the fuselage, collided with the vertical stabilizer, and caused loss of control resulting in the crash. Alternatively, other sources claim that a mid-air collision transpired between the Il-76MD and one of its escorting fighters above the vicinity of the Mausoleum of Khomeini, where former leader Ayatollah Khomeini is buried.
The Ilyushin ultimately crashed in flames approximately 15 km northwest of Varamin, resulting in fatalities for all seven onboard crew members. Some reports indicate that no distress call was received, implying a sudden catastrophic event, whereas others mention that an emergency transmission was made reporting an engine fire and requesting immediate landing clearance.
A video capturing the incident was uploaded to YouTube on 3 June 2011 by user Pooya Afaghi. It depicts the damaged IL-76MD losing its tail section, spiraling uncontrollably before crashing. This footage was subsequently highlighted by the Huffington Post.
IL-76
The aircraft in question was an Ilyushin Il-76MD Adnan 2, originally a Soviet-designed transport plane that was later modified into an AWACS platform by the Iraqi Military Industrialization Corporation for use by the Iraqi Air Force. This particular model, known as the Ilyushin Il-76MD Adnan 2, was flown from Iraq to Iran during the 1991 First Gulf War and assigned the serial number Template:IRIAF serial. Upon transfer, its name was changed from "Baghdad" to "Simorgh", referencing a mythical Iranian bird reputed for its extraordinary abilities in flight. Following its arrival in Iran, Russian specialists reportedly enhanced the aircraft by fitting it with a more advanced Iranian-made radar system capable of detecting airborne objects up to 1,000 kilometres (540 nmi) away. This aircraft entered operational service in April 2008 and remained Iran's sole AWACS-equipped plane.[1]
Possible second aircraft
In the event that a mid-air collision caused the incident, some reports suggest that the other aircraft involved may have been a Northrop F-5E Tiger II.[2][1][3][4]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedDebka - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedDefense - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWT - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedAA