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. At the time the Vincennes was exchanging fire with small Iranian gunboats. During the skirmish, flight 655 took off from Bandar Abbas International Airport. The airport was used by both civilian and military flights.

The Vincennes mistook the civilian aircraft for an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter on an attack run. 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. The Airbus crew did not have access to those channels and would not have heard the warnings. The Vincennes fired two missiles which both struck the fuselage of the plane. All 290 occupants on-board were killed.

 References 

 Other websites 
 Iran Air Flight 655 July 3rd 1988 - National Geographic 1; YouTube

Category:1988 in Asia
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the 1980s
Category:1980s in Iran
Category:Disasters in Iran