The Tupolev Tu-154 crashed minutes into its flight, plunging from 28,000 feet.
2009 was a dark year for aviation, with several major air crashes. The second-deadliest incident took place on Caspian Airlines flight 7908, scheduled to fly from Tehran, Iran, to Yerevan, Armenia, on July 15th. The aircraft crashed 16 minutes after takeoff due to a fatigue-induced issue with the engine, resulting in a total loss of control of the Tupolev jet.
Caspian Airlines flight 7908 was a regular service connecting the capital cities of Iran and Armenia, operated by the Tupolev Tu-154. 13 years ago, on July 15th, 2009, the flight was carrying 153 passengers and 15 crew members, departing Tehran at 11:17 AM local time for the two-hour journey.
The aircraft took off successfully and was cleared to cruise at 34,000 feet, with the pilot making their way to this altitude, according to AvHerald. However, the climb was halted when the crew reported a fire in engine number one at 28,000 feet and began tackling this issue. Minutes later, the plane made a right-hand turn and began losing altitude at a rate of 256 feet/second, falling to 14,000 feet.
The aircraft crashed into a field in a nearby village just 16 minutes after taking off. The impact from the crash left a 10-foot crater in the ground, along with a fire that initially spanned 200 square meters. Ground sources indicate that it was as though the plane had fallen out of the sky, given the severity of the impact.
Following the crash, investigators quickly began looking for the potential causes of such a shocking accident. It quickly became clear that there was a link to the fire in engine one. After an extensive study, Iranian authorities found that the accident was caused by fatigue-induced failure of the first rotor disc in the low pressure compressor of engine one. Debris from the rotor disk then severed hydraulic and fuel lines in the fuselage, causing hydraulic fluids to come into contact with the fuel.
Combined with the oxygen outside, a fire quickly developed outside the aircraft, impacting more systems. Within minutes, the fire destroyed control rods for the tail controls, resulting in the pilots losing control of the Tu-154 and it plummeting to the ground at an extremely high speed.
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The authorities also went further to determine the cause of the failure of the motor disc in engine one. They pointed to Tupolev's failure to provide operators with an updated guide to engine checks, despite publishing one in Russian for its home airlines. This lack of checks directly contributed to the failure of the part and subsequent fire, resulting in the crash.
Tupolev later published a worldwide bulletin addressing the issues. Notably, regulators also noted that the crew's failure to address the fire in a timely manner and without the correct steps allowed the fire to develop further and damage the plane.
Caspian Airlines flight 7908 remains the fourth-worst crash in Iranian history even today, with many more safety strides made ever since.
Lead Journalist - India - Pranjal is an experienced journalist with a strong focus on Indian aviation. His background in political science and economics gives him unique insight into issues surrounding international travel and governmental regulations. Pranjal is enthusiastic about new aircraft types and has his stories regularly picked up by renowned publications including Forbes. Based in New Delhi, India.