Iran Air Flight 655
Iran Air Flight 655 was an Iranian passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai. The aircraft was an Airbus A300 with 274 passengers and 16 crew members on-board. On July 3, 1988 the plane was shot down by the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War.[1] At the time the Vincennes was exchanging fire with small Iranian gunboats.[1] During the skirmish, flight 655 took off from Bandar Abbas International Airport.[1] The airport was used by both civilian and military flights.[2]
 Iran Air Flight 655 | |
| Shootdown summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 July 1988 |
| Summary | Shot down by USS Vincennes |
| Place | Persian Gulf |
| Passengers | 274 |
| Crew | 16 |
| Fatalities | 290 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A300B2-203 |
| Airline/user | Iran Air |
| Registration | EP-IBU |
| Flew from | Mehrabad International Airport Tehran, Iran |
| Stopover | Bandar Abbas Int'l Airport Bandar Abbas, Iran |
| Flying to | Dubai International Airport Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
The Vincennes mistook the civilian aircraft for an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter on an attack run.[3] The Vincennes attempted to warn the aircraft several times but received no reply. However, the warnings were sent on a military frequency to a non-existent F-14 Tomcat.[3] The Airbus crew did not have access to those channels and would not have heard the warnings.[4] The Vincennes fired two missiles which both struck the fuselage of the plane.[5] All 290 occupants on-board were killed.[3]
Iran Air Flight 655 Media
Flight 655's scheduled flight path through the A59 air corridor, which it was within (purple), and the route tracked by USS Vincennes (red)[6]
The Combat Information Center on board Vincennes
Part of the collected remains of Flight 655; much of the wreckage was never recovered
Admiral (ADM) William J. Crowe Jr., chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, answers questions from the press regarding the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 as Frank C. Carlucci, secretary of defense, stands by during a news briefing at the Pentagon. The aircraft was struck by missiles launched from the guided missile cruiser USS VINCENNES (CG 49) on July 3, 1988.
Iranians in Larestan County, Fars province, mourn those who died on board Flight 655.
Captain of the USS Vincennes William C. Rogers III
Iranian postage stamp issued 11 August 1988
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Max Fisher (October 16, 2013). "The forgotten story of Iran Air Flight 655". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ↑ Alicia Perez (July 17, 2014). "6 Worst Civilian Airliner Shootdowns In The Last 40 Years". IBT Media Inc. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Shapour Ghasemi (2004). "Shooting Down Iran Air Flight 655 [IR655]". Iran Chamber Society. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ↑ John F. Burns (December 4, 1988). "World Aviation Panel Faults U.S. Navy on Downing of Iran Air". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ↑ "Airspace violations – Episode 8 – Iran Air Flight 655 shot down by USS Vincennes". The Aviationist. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ↑ ICAO 1988, p. 22.