Iran Air crash: Urmia (Orumiyeh) Airport.

[Royal]

09 JAN 2011 Boeing 727-286 (EP-IRP) of Iran Air, 8 km from Urmia (Orumiyeh) Airport (OMH)- 72(105 )

Date: 09 JAN 2011
Time: ca 19:45
Type: Boeing 727-286
Operator: Iran Air
Registration: EP-IRP
C/n / msn: 20945/1048
First flight: 1974
Engines: 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15
Crew: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12
Passengers: Fatalities: 93 / Occupants: 93
Total: Fatalities: 72 / Occupants: 105
Ground fatalities:
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: 8 km from Urmia (Orumiyeh) Airport (OMH) (Iran)
Phase: Unknown
Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR)
Destination airport: Urmia (Orumiyeh) Airport (OMH)
Flightnumber: 277
An Iran Air Boeing 727 passenger jet was damaged beyond repair in an accident about 8 km from Urmia (Orumiyeh) Airport (OMH), Iran. There are conflicting reports about the exact number of people on board. ISNA quotes the Roads and Transportation Secretary stating there were 94 passengers and eleven crew members on board. Fars News Agency reports 93 passengers and twelve crew members. The airplane operated on flight IR277 from Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR) to Urmia (Orumiyeh) Airport (OMH). It left Tehran at 18:15, after a delay of over two hours due to severe weather at the destination. Fars News Agency reported that 72 people were killed in the accident, including all twelve crew members. According to local aviation sources in Iran, the airplane involved in the accident was EP-IRP. This has not yet been confirmed by CAO officials. The Deputy Minister of Roads and Transportation indicated that the accident occurred during a forced landing outside the airport. Weather reported about the time of the accident (16:15 UTC / 19:45 local) was: OITR 091600Z 26004KT 0800 SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1016= [16:00 UTC: Wind 260 degrees at 4 knots; Visibility 800 m in snow; scattered clouds 1,500 ft; scattered clouds 2,000 ft.; overcast 6,000 ft.; Temperature 0°C; Dew point 0°C; 1016 hPa]

AIRCRAFT PROFILE BOEING 727

Last fatal accident involving a Boeing 727: 18-NOV-2006 Boeing 727-23F HK-3667X Aerosucre Colombia - 6 fatalties (1513 days ago)
Total number of hull-losses: 112 (of which 94 were accidents)
27th worst accident involving a Boeing 727
Survival rate for all fatal Boeing 727 accidents: on average 15.9 % of all occupants survived fatal accident

COUNTRY PROFILE IRAN

Last fatal airliner/bizjet accident in Iran: 22-SEP-2009 Ilyushin 76MD 5-8208 Iran AF - 7 fatalities (474 days ago)
Total number of fatal airliner/bizjet accidents: 52
Total number of airliner/bizjet fatalities: 1806
10th worst airliner/bizjet accident in Iran
The country is rated Cat. - in FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment Program (IASA)

[deselby]

Royal, what do you think about the airworthiness of 727s, would you fly in one?

[Royal]

I most probably have.(Almost certainly).
Not on a regular basis but yes, if I needed to.

There are many much more dangerous things out there. (Famous last words?)

[deselby]

I guess if there are DC-3s still in commercial service, 727s aren't too old.

[crotalus01]

I have jumpseated in old Fedex 727s plenty of times back in the day (jumpseat has been gone since Sept 11 2001). We still fly them to and from smaller markets that cant justify an Airbus or larger aircraft. They are OLD, however (most built in the early to mid-60s), and are being phased out and replaced by 757s. As far as airworthiness they are just fine, otherwise the FAA would not let them fly.
Caveat empter if flying on one that is maintained outside the USA however.