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Iranian aircraft crash caught on new video
2009's crash of an Iranian military aircraft was a terrible loss of life and technology. Emerging this week is a new perspective of the crash, captured from the back of a C130 that happened to be refueling an F-4 Phantom in the area. In the video, you can clearly see the Iranian aircraft spiraling out of control and tumbling down to earth, a haunting image captured purely by accident.
The new footage gives some insight into what the final moments of any plane crash must be like, a dizzying array of motion, confusion and terror. It's enough to make one consider taking a long, quiet break from air travel.
[Editor's note: the scenes from this video are graphic]
[Via Gizmodo]
The new footage gives some insight into what the final moments of any plane crash must be like, a dizzying array of motion, confusion and terror. It's enough to make one consider taking a long, quiet break from air travel.
[Editor's note: the scenes from this video are graphic]
[Via Gizmodo]
Filed under: Iran, Middle East
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 16)
Billy Jun 4th 2011 12:12PM
Cant tell why it crashed. If the plane lost power it would still glide to the ground as long as the air speed is good. As a side note, Mr. Martin, more people are killed in car crashes everyday than in one year of flying. Might want to rethink that next time you get into a car.
JEFF Jun 4th 2011 12:44PM
Do you know what the glide ratio of an F-4 Phantom is ??
Sternberg Jun 4th 2011 2:36PM
The glide ratio of an F4 is over 160 to 1.
LYRICS Jun 4th 2011 2:42PM
Reading and flying, along with reading and driving
is bad news. But those Iranian manuals are written
backwards, and have to be turn upside down also.
So goes the plane.
a pilot Jun 4th 2011 2:47PM
I have a guess as to what happened. The TU-154 got caught in the wake turbulence of the C-130 refueling that Phantom. If you're not sure what "wake turbulence" is... think of it as a horizontal tornado coming off the wing tips of ALL aircraft in flight. The C-130, I would think, creates wake turbulence in the range of an EF3 or 4 tornado which would be more than enough to knock any plane out of the sky that happened to venture into it.
Just a guess, but from the position of the airliner... i'd bet money on it.
Captain Obvious Jun 4th 2011 3:18PM
There are subtle clues as to why the plane could not glide to a safe landing... the missing empennage, for example.
Charles Jun 4th 2011 3:20PM
However, the problem with a plane crash compared to a car crash, is the time involved. With a car crash, it's quick. With a plane crash, it's slow (at least I would think). I find it hard to imagine the sheer terror of being in a plane tumbling downward, knowing death is at hand.
Steve Jun 4th 2011 3:22PM
A jet aircraft glides about as well as a bowling ball.
Willieboy Jun 4th 2011 4:25PM
As someone once remarked, an F-4 Phantom that has lost power has the flying characteristics of a falling safe.
WILL Jun 4th 2011 3:34PM
Jet planes don't "glide to the ground" they drop
Mike Hill Jun 4th 2011 3:44PM
There was no Vertical Stabilizer (tail) on the plane. It had neither a rudder nor elevators. Almost the whole of the rear of the aircraft was missing.
paul Jun 4th 2011 3:45PM
It looks like the tail section of the plane is missing as it is spiraling down to the ground...i be willing to bet the plane was having problems as it got into the air flow of the f 4 and the tanker plane..a phenomenon called wake turbulance, knowing it to be a russian airliner, it would not suprise me that it broke apart ...we will never know what caused it.
Ken Jun 4th 2011 3:47PM
I still fly, but I don't like equating air travel and auto travel with respect to accidents. If your car engine fails, you can almost always survive. You can also survive most collisions. If your plane fails in a big way, bye bye.
Dan ryan Jun 4th 2011 3:48PM
It's pretty obvious that he was shot down. The C130 would have had him on radar way before he got that close. someone called that shot at the last second. If you watch again you will see he is coming straight at the C130.
steve Jun 4th 2011 3:54PM
It appears to be smoke but most likely is jet fuel mist when the rear section of the plane broke off.
bud donohue Jun 5th 2011 10:45AM
who cares why it crashed, dont you know iran is an enemy of the united states.
dutchgirl55 Jun 4th 2011 3:58PM
On the other hand, in a car crash you don't often have two or three minutes of terrorized helplessness as you fall to Earth.
jcm024 Jun 4th 2011 3:59PM
Billy..
That statement is beyoned silly. Thats like saying more humans die in India than in Rhode Island. If there as many planes as cars..then you could compare the tow different methods of transportation. You need to think twice before posting.
You're dismissed....
Ron Jun 4th 2011 4:09PM
I don't think that is the point of the video.
Robert.SMith Jun 5th 2011 12:28PM
More people are killed in car crashes because there are more cars. Not because airplanes are safer. Put that many planes in the air and see what happens.