Unable to extract the undercarriage, Iran Air Fokker F-100 was forced to land on a belly at Tehran Mehrabad Airport (THR) on March 19, 2019. Passengers evacuated safely with no injuries reported.
A video by the Islamic Republic News Agency shows sparks of flame coming out as the aircraft touches the ground during the landing. While the plane suffered “substantial” damage, no crew or passengers were injured.
A #Fokker 100 belonging to #IranAir caught fire on landing at #Tehran‘s Mehrabad Airport on Tuesday but all 100 passengers were evacuated without injury.
The pilot was unable to open the back wheels of the plane.#sanctions #Iran pic.twitter.com/f7RXD9yxiX
— Hossein Aghaie (@Haghaie) March 19, 2019
It is not exactly clear how many passengers were onboard. While a representative from Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran is quoted in media reports as saying there were 24 people and nine crew onboard, other sources put passenger numbers closer to full Fokker F-100 capacity, claiming there were 100 people.
The aircraft, a 28 year old Fokker F-100 powered by Rolls-Royce RB.183 Tay turbofan engines, has been with Iran Air since April 1991. In 2008, it was rented to Kish Air (Iran), and returned to its original owner in 2010.
