Iranian Air Force Ilyushin 76 breaks up in flight

22 September 2009; Iranian Air Force Ilyushin 76MD, 5-8208; near Varamin City, Iran:

The following video shows the view from the rear of an aircraft flying in formation with an F-4 Phantom. You can see the Il-76 tumbling out of control and experiencing an inflight breakup before crashing into the ground. All seven crew members on board the Il-76 were killed. At the time of the crash, the accident aircraft had been participating in the 2009 Sacred Defense air show in Tehran.



This Ilyushin 76, which had been fitted with radome and had been operated as an airborne warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, reportedly had some kind of engine malfunction and was maneuvering to land at Tehran-Mehrabad Airport. The radome detached and struck the tail fin, leading to the loss of control and inflight breakup.

Aircraft photo from the day before the crash


Iranian news report of the crash

Additional information at Uskowi on Iran

Ground Collision Involving United Express - 18 October 2008

On 18 October 2008, at about 4:49 am, Three people were injured when a United Express Canadair Regional jet, operated by Skywest Airlines, collided with a maintenance truck on a runway at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.



According to the Chicago Fire Department, the plane, which was being operated by a pair Skywest maintenance workers and had no passengers on board, was traveling from a hangar to a gate at when it collided with a pickup truck. The driver of the truck and the two mechanics from the plane sustained minor injuries.



Although the incident closed a runway for about two hours, flight operations were not affected.