Turkish Airlines Flight 158
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 The aircraft involved in the accident, 1981. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 16 January 1983 |
| Summary | Runway undershot in bad weather conditions |
| Site | |
 | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 727-2F2 |
| Aircraft name | Afyon |
| Operator | Turkish Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | TK158 |
| ICAO flight No. | THY158 |
| Call sign | TURKISH 158 |
| Registration | TC-JBR |
| Flight origin | Orly Airport, Paris, France |
| Stopover | Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport, Turkey |
| Destination | Ankara Esenboğa Airport, Turkey |
| Occupants | 67 |
| Passengers | 60 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 47 |
| Injuries | 20 |
| Survivors | 20 |
Turkish Airlines Flight 158 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport to Ankara Esenboğa Airport, Turkey. On 16 January 1983, the aircraft operating the flight, a Boeing 727-200, landed about 50 metres (160 ft) short of the runway at its destination airport in driving snow, broke up, and caught fire.[1][2] Of the 67 occupants on board, 47 died.
The flight was a scheduled flight between Paris and Ankara Esenboğa Airport in Turkey, with a scheduled stop at Istanbul Yeşilköy Airport.[2] As the Boeing 727 approached the airport in Ankara, weather conditions were bad, with driving snow and gusty winds.[3][4] As the plane attempted to land, it hit the ground well short of the runway.[3] It then struck an obstacle and broken into three pieces as it skidded onto the runway.[3] The middle section of the plane exploded and burst into flames.[3]
The weather conditions hindered rescue attempts, as the roads were treacherous. Four taxis that were rushing to the airport to assist with the rescue efforts collided, killing four people.[3] Many of the dead and injured were burned in the fire.[3] Area hospitals had difficulty identifying the badly burned bodies.[4] Some of the survivors had been seated in the tail section of the aircraft and were thrown from the aircraft when it broke apart.[4] Most of the fatal injuries occurred to passengers in the middle section that caught on fire.[4]
After the crash, Esenboğa Airport was closed until the following afternoon to give investigators a chance to locate the flight recorders and to inspect the wreckage.[4]
