1989 Ariana Afghan Airlines An-26 forced landing

The 1989 Ariana Afghan Airlines An-26 forced landing (1989-nen Ariana Afugan Kōkū An-26 fujichaku jiko) was an aviation accident that occurred in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, on 18 June 1989. An Ariana Afghan Airlines domestic flight (Antonov An-26B) flying from Kabul International Airport to Zaranj Airport made a forced landing, and 6 of the 39 crew and passengers were killed.

Course of the accident

YA-BAK was operating as a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Kabul International Airport to Zaranj Airport. During the flight, the co-pilot and other crew members got into an argument. At that point, a sky marshal who intervened to stop it fired a shot at the co-pilot's shoulder. Furthermore, the confused sky marshal opened the ramp door, causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable, and it strayed into Iranian territory. At around 13:30 AFT, the An-26 made a forced landing on sand dunes near Zabol, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, and overturned.

The forced landing killed 4 passengers instantly, and 2 died after being taken to hospital. According to reports, the dead included 1 woman and 3 children.

Cause of the accident

Iranian Deputy Prime Minister Alireza Moayeri (Alireza Moayeri) was appointed to investigate and dispatched to the scene. Initially, based on passengers' accounts, the cause was presumed to be that 2 hijackers had tried to seize the aircraft and grappled with the pilots. There were also reports that 12 people had been taken hostage, but the Iranian Prime Minister's Office denied this.

At a press conference, Deputy Prime Minister Moayeri announced that the cause of the accident was that the sky marshal had fired at the co-pilot and then opened the ramp door. There had long been conflict among the 4 crew members, including the co-pilot, and it is believed that the sky marshal fired because of the extreme tension.