Tehran - Gorgan

On May 17, 2001 at 07:45 AM, Tehran - Gorgan experienced a crash involving Yakovlev Yak-40, operated by Qeshm Airlines, with the event recorded near Sari Mazandaran.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

30 people were known to be on board, 30 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 25, passenger fatalities: 25, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The three engine aircraft departed Tehran-Mehrabad Airport at 0645LT on a charter flight to Gorgan, carrying members of the parliament and government who were flying to Gorgan to inaugurate the new airport. En route, the crew was informed by ATC about the deterioration of the weather conditions at destination and was instructed to divert to Sari Airport. While descending to Sari in marginal weather conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located about 20 km south of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 30 occupants were killed. Among the passengers were Rahman Dadman, Iranian Minister of Transport and two vice-ministers.

Aircraft reference details include registration EP-TQP, MSN 9 74 08 56, year of manufacture 1977.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 36.5776°, 53.0618°.