🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 106 (from laksa181)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa106.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://simpleflying.com/iran-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://simpleflying.com/iran-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/iran-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary\/","crawl_time":1773879090,"first_indexed_time":1656882419,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,simpleflying!\/iran-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary\/ s443","src_root_hash":"15033372965835594306","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"34 Years Ago Today: The Shootdown Of Iran Air Flight 655","meta_descriptions":["There were almost 300 people onboard the aircraft involved."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Published\nJul 3, 2022, 4:00 PM EDT\nA graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK.\nToday marks 34 years since the shootdown of Iran Air flight 655 on July 3rd, 1988. The incident involved a scheduled service bound for Dubai, which was operated by an Airbus A300 with close to 300 passengers and crew onboard. Let's take a closer look at how the shootdown, whose reasons remain disputed today, played out.\nThe flight and aircraft in question\nIran Air\nflight 655 was a scheduled international service that originated at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport (THR). At the time, this was the Iranian capital's primary airport, but it has since taken on a largely domestic role following the opening of Imam Khomeini International (IKA) in the mid-2000s. The flight's destination was the key Middle Eastern hub of\nDubai International\n(DXB) in the UAE.\nThe service also had a scheduled stop en route, at Iran's Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND). The first leg of the flight passed without incident, and it arrived there at around 08:40 local time, according to the Aviation Safety Network.\nBy the time flight 655 left Bandar Abbas, at 10:17, it had a total of 290 people onboard. This figure comprised 274 passengers and 16 members of crew. The aircraft operating the flight was EP-IBU, an\nAirbus\nA300 that, according to\nATDB.aero\n, had joined Iran Air as a brand-new aircraft in April 1982, a month after first flying.\nIran Air still flies examples of the Airbus A300 today. Photo: \nKhashayar Talebzadeh via Wikimedia Commons\nStay informed:\nSign up\nfor our daily and weekly aviation news digests.\nDisaster over the Gulf\nAs established, Iran Air flight 655 left Bandar Abbas at 10:17 local time, departing on a 210-degree heading in the direction of the airport's runway. With the flight scheduled to take just 28 minutes, air traffic control instructed it to climb to a cruising altitude of just 14,000 feet after departure. It was cleared to fly to Dubai via an aerial corridor known as A59, which was around 20 miles (32 km) wide.\nHowever, just seven minutes after departing Bandar Abbas, at 10:24 local time, the Airbus\nA300\noperating Iran Air flight 655 was struck by a surface-to-air missile, having climbed through 12,000 feet. This was one of two fired at the jet by the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser boat operated by the US Navy.\nThe force of the missile's impact caused the aircraft to break apart in mid-air, with its wreckage falling into the sea below. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 290 people onboard, and the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders were never found. This begged the question as to why the US Navy would shoot down a civilian airliner, a debate that remains disputed today.\nThe USS Vincennes was commissioned in July 1985. Photo:\nUS Navy via Wikimedia Commons\nThe airline industry is always full of new developments! What\naviation news\nwill you check out next?\nDiffering accounts\nThe US Navy claimed to have launched the attack on Iran Air flight 655 on the grounds that the A300 had been identified as a hostile F-14 fighter jet. It reportedly only fired the missiles after having attempted to contact the aircraft. In any case, the ship was found to have been within Iranian waters at the time of the attack.\nIran argued that, due to this, the Vincennes had no right to shoot anything in its airspace not following an attack profile, regardless of the aircraft type. The country also refused to accept that the shootdown was a case of mistaken identity.\nInstead, Iran deemed the attack to be intentional and unlawful, even going as far as to state that the negligence involved constituted a crime. The\nUS Government\nnever formally apologized, but did pay the victims' families $61.8 million.\nSource:\nAviation Safety Network","attrs_markdown":"Menu\n\n[![Simple Flying logo](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/assets\/images\/sf-logo-full-colored-light.svg?v=3.6)](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/)\n\nSign in now\n\nClose\n\n- - [AIRLINES](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/airlines\/)\n  - [AIRPORTS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/airports\/)\n  - [AIRCRAFT](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/aircraft\/)\n  - [MANUFACTURERS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/manufacturers\/)\n- - [SEAT MAPS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/seat-maps\/airlines\/)\n  - [THREADS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/threads\/)\n  - [VIDEOS](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/videos\/)\n  - [PODCAST](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/podcasts\/)\n\n- [Sign in](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/iran-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/page\/newsletter\/)\n\nMenu\n\n[![Simple Flying logo](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/assets\/images\/sf-logo-icon-colored-dark.svg?v=3.6)](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/)\n\nFollow\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nMore Action\n\nSign in now\n\n[News](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/aviation-news\/)\n\n[Reviews](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/reviews\/)\n\n[Boeing](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/boeing\/)\n\n[Airbus](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/airbus\/)\n\n[Threads](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/threads\/)\n\nClose\n\n# 34 Years Ago Today: The Shootdown Of Iran Air Flight 655\n![Iran Air Airbus A300](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/4748284494_2c3a928e3c_k.jpg?&fit=crop&w=1600&h=900)\n\nCredit: Photo: [Aero Icarus via Flickr](https:\/\/flickr.com\/photos\/aero_icarus\/4748284494\/in\/photolist-8eAcy3-o9WR1M-2hvvYkp-91wi7F-8NUGCX-7Av7dg-VhK5tt-8NXMyC-ugf8yo-8uMTTj-91zquw-a1H3ZC-dDJVbr-pHXb1X-91zqAJ-91zqwU-2jRKbG1-daW2h5-aqZ82V-aqZ8fD-ajqpq8-2hvzJJh-9nftUe-2hSA7y2-91z5Ru-8i2krS-8Vmh2q-ar2M11-8jauzf-8NXPDW-a1H3To-8tob7R-9epizB-7hXKGr-8NUmyD-91z6cw-5wVxwC-8VmhaA-AxGEig-dJdFJu-7vA1bE-EX2XNU-7vwjfK-4N81Au-8VmhrL-7vwf8i-72Z4YC-8VidPg-8NXwxq-bZ232Y)\n\n[![4](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F63d40fc226164-Jake_Blue.png?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/author\/jake\/)\n\nBy  [Jake Hardiman](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/author\/jake\/)\n\nPublished Jul 3, 2022, 4:00 PM EDT\n\nA graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK.\n\n[Sign in to your Simple Flying account]()\n\n[Add Us On](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=simpleflying.com \"Add Us On\")\n\nfollow\n\nFollow\n\nfollowed\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nLike\n\nLog in\n\nHere is a fact-based summary of the story contents:\n\nTry something different:\n\nShow me the facts\n\nExplain it like I’m 5\n\nGive me a lighthearted recap\n\nToday marks 34 years since the shootdown of Iran Air flight 655 on July 3rd, 1988. The incident involved a scheduled service bound for Dubai, which was operated by an Airbus A300 with close to 300 passengers and crew onboard. Let's take a closer look at how the shootdown, whose reasons remain disputed today, played out.\n\n## The flight and aircraft in question\n[Iran Air](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/iran-air\/) flight 655 was a scheduled international service that originated at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport (THR). At the time, this was the Iranian capital's primary airport, but it has since taken on a largely domestic role following the opening of Imam Khomeini International (IKA) in the mid-2000s. The flight's destination was the key Middle Eastern hub of [Dubai International](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/dubai-international-airport\/) (DXB) in the UAE.\n\nThe service also had a scheduled stop en route, at Iran's Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND). The first leg of the flight passed without incident, and it arrived there at around 08:40 local time, according to the Aviation Safety Network.\n\nBy the time flight 655 left Bandar Abbas, at 10:17, it had a total of 290 people onboard. This figure comprised 274 passengers and 16 members of crew. The aircraft operating the flight was EP-IBU, an [Airbus](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/airbus\/) A300 that, according to [ATDB.aero](https:\/\/atdb.aero\/), had joined Iran Air as a brand-new aircraft in April 1982, a month after first flying.\n\n![A300\\_Iran\\_Air\\_EP-IBT\\_THR\\_May\\_2010](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nIran Air still flies examples of the Airbus A300 today. Photo: [Khashayar Talebzadeh via Wikimedia Commons](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg)\n\n**Stay informed:** [Sign up](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/email-newsletters-in-post\/) for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.\n\n## Disaster over the Gulf\nAs established, Iran Air flight 655 left Bandar Abbas at 10:17 local time, departing on a 210-degree heading in the direction of the airport's runway. With the flight scheduled to take just 28 minutes, air traffic control instructed it to climb to a cruising altitude of just 14,000 feet after departure. It was cleared to fly to Dubai via an aerial corridor known as A59, which was around 20 miles (32 km) wide.\n\nHowever, just seven minutes after departing Bandar Abbas, at 10:24 local time, the Airbus [A300](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/airbus-a300\/) operating Iran Air flight 655 was struck by a surface-to-air missile, having climbed through 12,000 feet. This was one of two fired at the jet by the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser boat operated by the US Navy.\n\nThe force of the missile's impact caused the aircraft to break apart in mid-air, with its wreckage falling into the sea below. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 290 people onboard, and the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders were never found. This begged the question as to why the US Navy would shoot down a civilian airliner, a debate that remains disputed today.\n\n![1024px-USS\\_Vincennes\\_returns\\_to\\_San\\_Diego\\_Oct\\_1988](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/1024px-USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nThe USS Vincennes was commissioned in July 1985. Photo: [US Navy via Wikimedia Commons](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg)\n\nThe airline industry is always full of new developments! What [**aviation news**](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/aviation-news\/) will you check out next?\n\n## Differing accounts\nThe US Navy claimed to have launched the attack on Iran Air flight 655 on the grounds that the A300 had been identified as a hostile F-14 fighter jet. It reportedly only fired the missiles after having attempted to contact the aircraft. In any case, the ship was found to have been within Iranian waters at the time of the attack.\n\nIran argued that, due to this, the Vincennes had no right to shoot anything in its airspace not following an attack profile, regardless of the aircraft type. The country also refused to accept that the shootdown was a case of mistaken identity.\n\nInstead, Iran deemed the attack to be intentional and unlawful, even going as far as to state that the negligence involved constituted a crime. The [US Government](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/us-government\/) never formally apologized, but did pay the victims' families \\$61.8 million.\n\n*Source: [Aviation Safety Network](https:\/\/aviation-safety.net\/database\/record.php?id=19880703-0)*\n\n- [Airlines](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/airlines\/ \"Airlines\")\n- [History](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/history\/ \"History\")\n- [Middle East](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/middle-east\/ \"Middle East\")\n\nFollow\n\nFollowed\n\nLike\n\nShare\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F%2F&src=sdkpreparse)   [X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=34%20Years%20Ago%20Today%3A%20The%20Shootdown%20Of%20Iran%20Air%20Flight%20655&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F)   [WhatsApp](https:\/\/web.whatsapp.com\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F)   [Threads](https:\/\/www.threads.net\/intent\/post?text=34%20Years%20Ago%20Today%3A%20The%20Shootdown%20Of%20Iran%20Air%20Flight%20655%20https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F)   [Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/intent\/compose?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F)   [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F&title=34%20Years%20Ago%20Today%3A%20The%20Shootdown%20Of%20Iran%20Air%20Flight%20655&source=simpleflying.com&summary=There%20were%20almost%20300%20people%20onboard%20the%20aircraft%20involved.)   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He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK.\n\nToday marks 34 years since the shootdown of Iran Air flight 655 on July 3rd, 1988. The incident involved a scheduled service bound for Dubai, which was operated by an Airbus A300 with close to 300 passengers and crew onboard. Let's take a closer look at how the shootdown, whose reasons remain disputed today, played out.\n\n## The flight and aircraft in question\n[Iran Air](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/iran-air\/) flight 655 was a scheduled international service that originated at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport (THR). At the time, this was the Iranian capital's primary airport, but it has since taken on a largely domestic role following the opening of Imam Khomeini International (IKA) in the mid-2000s. The flight's destination was the key Middle Eastern hub of [Dubai International](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/dubai-international-airport\/) (DXB) in the UAE.\n\nThe service also had a scheduled stop en route, at Iran's Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND). The first leg of the flight passed without incident, and it arrived there at around 08:40 local time, according to the Aviation Safety Network.\n\nBy the time flight 655 left Bandar Abbas, at 10:17, it had a total of 290 people onboard. This figure comprised 274 passengers and 16 members of crew. The aircraft operating the flight was EP-IBU, an [Airbus](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/airbus\/) A300 that, according to [ATDB.aero](https:\/\/atdb.aero\/), had joined Iran Air as a brand-new aircraft in April 1982, a month after first flying.\n\n![A300\\_Iran\\_Air\\_EP-IBT\\_THR\\_May\\_2010](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nIran Air still flies examples of the Airbus A300 today. Photo: [Khashayar Talebzadeh via Wikimedia Commons](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg)\n\n**Stay informed:** [Sign up](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/email-newsletters-in-post\/) for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.\n\n## Disaster over the Gulf\nAs established, Iran Air flight 655 left Bandar Abbas at 10:17 local time, departing on a 210-degree heading in the direction of the airport's runway. With the flight scheduled to take just 28 minutes, air traffic control instructed it to climb to a cruising altitude of just 14,000 feet after departure. It was cleared to fly to Dubai via an aerial corridor known as A59, which was around 20 miles (32 km) wide.\n\nHowever, just seven minutes after departing Bandar Abbas, at 10:24 local time, the Airbus [A300](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/airbus-a300\/) operating Iran Air flight 655 was struck by a surface-to-air missile, having climbed through 12,000 feet. This was one of two fired at the jet by the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser boat operated by the US Navy.\n\nThe force of the missile's impact caused the aircraft to break apart in mid-air, with its wreckage falling into the sea below. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 290 people onboard, and the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders were never found. This begged the question as to why the US Navy would shoot down a civilian airliner, a debate that remains disputed today.\n\n![1024px-USS\\_Vincennes\\_returns\\_to\\_San\\_Diego\\_Oct\\_1988](https:\/\/static0.simpleflyingimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/1024px-USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)\n\nThe USS Vincennes was commissioned in July 1985. Photo: [US Navy via Wikimedia Commons](https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg)\n\nThe airline industry is always full of new developments! What [**aviation news**](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/category\/aviation-news\/) will you check out next?\n\n## Differing accounts\nThe US Navy claimed to have launched the attack on Iran Air flight 655 on the grounds that the A300 had been identified as a hostile F-14 fighter jet. It reportedly only fired the missiles after having attempted to contact the aircraft. In any case, the ship was found to have been within Iranian waters at the time of the attack.\n\nIran argued that, due to this, the Vincennes had no right to shoot anything in its airspace not following an attack profile, regardless of the aircraft type. The country also refused to accept that the shootdown was a case of mistaken identity.\n\nInstead, Iran deemed the attack to be intentional and unlawful, even going as far as to state that the negligence involved constituted a crime. The [US Government](https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/tag\/us-government\/) never formally apologized, but did pay the victims' families \\$61.8 million.\n\n*Source: [Aviation Safety Network](https:\/\/aviation-safety.net\/database\/record.php?id=19880703-0)*","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	34 Years Ago Today: The Shootdown Of Iran Air Flight 655
Meta Description	There were almost 300 people onboard the aircraft involved.
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Boilerpipe Text	Published Jul 3, 2022, 4:00 PM EDT A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Today marks 34 years since the shootdown of Iran Air flight 655 on July 3rd, 1988. The incident involved a scheduled service bound for Dubai, which was operated by an Airbus A300 with close to 300 passengers and crew onboard. Let's take a closer look at how the shootdown, whose reasons remain disputed today, played out. The flight and aircraft in question Iran Air flight 655 was a scheduled international service that originated at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport (THR). At the time, this was the Iranian capital's primary airport, but it has since taken on a largely domestic role following the opening of Imam Khomeini International (IKA) in the mid-2000s. The flight's destination was the key Middle Eastern hub of Dubai International (DXB) in the UAE. The service also had a scheduled stop en route, at Iran's Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND). The first leg of the flight passed without incident, and it arrived there at around 08:40 local time, according to the Aviation Safety Network. By the time flight 655 left Bandar Abbas, at 10:17, it had a total of 290 people onboard. This figure comprised 274 passengers and 16 members of crew. The aircraft operating the flight was EP-IBU, an Airbus A300 that, according to ATDB.aero , had joined Iran Air as a brand-new aircraft in April 1982, a month after first flying. Iran Air still flies examples of the Airbus A300 today. Photo: Khashayar Talebzadeh via Wikimedia Commons Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. Disaster over the Gulf As established, Iran Air flight 655 left Bandar Abbas at 10:17 local time, departing on a 210-degree heading in the direction of the airport's runway. With the flight scheduled to take just 28 minutes, air traffic control instructed it to climb to a cruising altitude of just 14,000 feet after departure. It was cleared to fly to Dubai via an aerial corridor known as A59, which was around 20 miles (32 km) wide. However, just seven minutes after departing Bandar Abbas, at 10:24 local time, the Airbus A300 operating Iran Air flight 655 was struck by a surface-to-air missile, having climbed through 12,000 feet. This was one of two fired at the jet by the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser boat operated by the US Navy. The force of the missile's impact caused the aircraft to break apart in mid-air, with its wreckage falling into the sea below. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 290 people onboard, and the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders were never found. This begged the question as to why the US Navy would shoot down a civilian airliner, a debate that remains disputed today. The USS Vincennes was commissioned in July 1985. Photo: US Navy via Wikimedia Commons The airline industry is always full of new developments! What aviation news will you check out next? Differing accounts The US Navy claimed to have launched the attack on Iran Air flight 655 on the grounds that the A300 had been identified as a hostile F-14 fighter jet. It reportedly only fired the missiles after having attempted to contact the aircraft. In any case, the ship was found to have been within Iranian waters at the time of the attack. Iran argued that, due to this, the Vincennes had no right to shoot anything in its airspace not following an attack profile, regardless of the aircraft type. The country also refused to accept that the shootdown was a case of mistaken identity. Instead, Iran deemed the attack to be intentional and unlawful, even going as far as to state that the negligence involved constituted a crime. The US Government never formally apologized, but did pay the victims' families $61.8 million. Source: Aviation Safety Network
Markdown	Menu [![Simple Flying logo](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/assets/images/sf-logo-full-colored-light.svg?v=3.6)](https://simpleflying.com/) Sign in now Close - - [AIRLINES](https://simpleflying.com/category/airlines/) - [AIRPORTS](https://simpleflying.com/category/airports/) - [AIRCRAFT](https://simpleflying.com/category/aircraft/) - [MANUFACTURERS](https://simpleflying.com/category/manufacturers/) - - [SEAT MAPS](https://simpleflying.com/seat-maps/airlines/) - [THREADS](https://simpleflying.com/threads/) - [VIDEOS](https://simpleflying.com/videos/) - [PODCAST](https://simpleflying.com/category/podcasts/) - [Sign in](https://simpleflying.com/iran-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary/) - [Newsletter](https://simpleflying.com/page/newsletter/) Menu [![Simple Flying logo](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/assets/images/sf-logo-icon-colored-dark.svg?v=3.6)](https://simpleflying.com/) Follow Followed Like More Action Sign in now [News](https://simpleflying.com/category/aviation-news/) [Reviews](https://simpleflying.com/category/reviews/) [Boeing](https://simpleflying.com/tag/boeing/) [Airbus](https://simpleflying.com/tag/airbus/) [Threads](https://simpleflying.com/threads/) Close # 34 Years Ago Today: The Shootdown Of Iran Air Flight 655 ![Iran Air Airbus A300](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4748284494_2c3a928e3c_k.jpg?&fit=crop&w=1600&h=900) Credit: Photo: [Aero Icarus via Flickr](https://flickr.com/photos/aero_icarus/4748284494/in/photolist-8eAcy3-o9WR1M-2hvvYkp-91wi7F-8NUGCX-7Av7dg-VhK5tt-8NXMyC-ugf8yo-8uMTTj-91zquw-a1H3ZC-dDJVbr-pHXb1X-91zqAJ-91zqwU-2jRKbG1-daW2h5-aqZ82V-aqZ8fD-ajqpq8-2hvzJJh-9nftUe-2hSA7y2-91z5Ru-8i2krS-8Vmh2q-ar2M11-8jauzf-8NXPDW-a1H3To-8tob7R-9epizB-7hXKGr-8NUmyD-91z6cw-5wVxwC-8VmhaA-AxGEig-dJdFJu-7vA1bE-EX2XNU-7vwjfK-4N81Au-8VmhrL-7vwf8i-72Z4YC-8VidPg-8NXwxq-bZ232Y) [![4](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F63d40fc226164-Jake_Blue.png?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https://simpleflying.com/author/jake/) By [Jake Hardiman](https://simpleflying.com/author/jake/) Published Jul 3, 2022, 4:00 PM EDT A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. [Sign in to your Simple Flying account]() [Add Us On](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=simpleflying.com "Add Us On") follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Today marks 34 years since the shootdown of Iran Air flight 655 on July 3rd, 1988. The incident involved a scheduled service bound for Dubai, which was operated by an Airbus A300 with close to 300 passengers and crew onboard. Let's take a closer look at how the shootdown, whose reasons remain disputed today, played out. ## The flight and aircraft in question [Iran Air](https://simpleflying.com/tag/iran-air/) flight 655 was a scheduled international service that originated at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport (THR). At the time, this was the Iranian capital's primary airport, but it has since taken on a largely domestic role following the opening of Imam Khomeini International (IKA) in the mid-2000s. The flight's destination was the key Middle Eastern hub of [Dubai International](https://simpleflying.com/tag/dubai-international-airport/) (DXB) in the UAE. The service also had a scheduled stop en route, at Iran's Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND). The first leg of the flight passed without incident, and it arrived there at around 08:40 local time, according to the Aviation Safety Network. By the time flight 655 left Bandar Abbas, at 10:17, it had a total of 290 people onboard. This figure comprised 274 passengers and 16 members of crew. The aircraft operating the flight was EP-IBU, an [Airbus](https://simpleflying.com/tag/airbus/) A300 that, according to [ATDB.aero](https://atdb.aero/), had joined Iran Air as a brand-new aircraft in April 1982, a month after first flying. ![A300\_Iran\_Air\_EP-IBT\_THR\_May\_2010](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) Iran Air still flies examples of the Airbus A300 today. Photo: [Khashayar Talebzadeh via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg) Stay informed: [Sign up](https://simpleflying.com/email-newsletters-in-post/) for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. ## Disaster over the Gulf As established, Iran Air flight 655 left Bandar Abbas at 10:17 local time, departing on a 210-degree heading in the direction of the airport's runway. With the flight scheduled to take just 28 minutes, air traffic control instructed it to climb to a cruising altitude of just 14,000 feet after departure. It was cleared to fly to Dubai via an aerial corridor known as A59, which was around 20 miles (32 km) wide. However, just seven minutes after departing Bandar Abbas, at 10:24 local time, the Airbus [A300](https://simpleflying.com/tag/airbus-a300/) operating Iran Air flight 655 was struck by a surface-to-air missile, having climbed through 12,000 feet. This was one of two fired at the jet by the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser boat operated by the US Navy. The force of the missile's impact caused the aircraft to break apart in mid-air, with its wreckage falling into the sea below. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 290 people onboard, and the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders were never found. This begged the question as to why the US Navy would shoot down a civilian airliner, a debate that remains disputed today. ![1024px-USS\_Vincennes\_returns\_to\_San\_Diego\_Oct\_1988](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/1024px-USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) The USS Vincennes was commissioned in July 1985. Photo: [US Navy via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg) The airline industry is always full of new developments! What [aviation news](https://simpleflying.com/category/aviation-news/) will you check out next? ## Differing accounts The US Navy claimed to have launched the attack on Iran Air flight 655 on the grounds that the A300 had been identified as a hostile F-14 fighter jet. It reportedly only fired the missiles after having attempted to contact the aircraft. In any case, the ship was found to have been within Iranian waters at the time of the attack. Iran argued that, due to this, the Vincennes had no right to shoot anything in its airspace not following an attack profile, regardless of the aircraft type. The country also refused to accept that the shootdown was a case of mistaken identity. Instead, Iran deemed the attack to be intentional and unlawful, even going as far as to state that the negligence involved constituted a crime. The [US Government](https://simpleflying.com/tag/us-government/) never formally apologized, but did pay the victims' families \$61.8 million. Source: [Aviation Safety Network](https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19880703-0) - [Airlines](https://simpleflying.com/category/airlines/ "Airlines") - [History](https://simpleflying.com/category/history/ "History") - [Middle East](https://simpleflying.com/category/middle-east/ "Middle East") Follow Followed Like Share [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F%2F&src=sdkpreparse) [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=34%20Years%20Ago%20Today%3A%20The%20Shootdown%20Of%20Iran%20Air%20Flight%20655&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F) [WhatsApp](https://web.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F) [Threads](https://www.threads.net/intent/post?text=34%20Years%20Ago%20Today%3A%20The%20Shootdown%20Of%20Iran%20Air%20Flight%20655%20https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F) [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimpleflying.com%2Firan-air-flight-655-1988-shootdown-anniversary%2F&title=34%20Years%20Ago%20Today%3A%20The%20Shootdown%20Of%20Iran%20Air%20Flight%20655&source=simpleflying.com&summary=There%20were%20almost%20300%20people%20onboard%20the%20aircraft%20involved.) 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Readable Markdown	[![4](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F63d40fc226164-Jake_Blue.png?fit=crop&w=90&h=90)](https://simpleflying.com/author/jake/) Published Jul 3, 2022, 4:00 PM EDT A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Today marks 34 years since the shootdown of Iran Air flight 655 on July 3rd, 1988. The incident involved a scheduled service bound for Dubai, which was operated by an Airbus A300 with close to 300 passengers and crew onboard. Let's take a closer look at how the shootdown, whose reasons remain disputed today, played out. ## The flight and aircraft in question [Iran Air](https://simpleflying.com/tag/iran-air/) flight 655 was a scheduled international service that originated at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport (THR). At the time, this was the Iranian capital's primary airport, but it has since taken on a largely domestic role following the opening of Imam Khomeini International (IKA) in the mid-2000s. The flight's destination was the key Middle Eastern hub of [Dubai International](https://simpleflying.com/tag/dubai-international-airport/) (DXB) in the UAE. The service also had a scheduled stop en route, at Iran's Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND). The first leg of the flight passed without incident, and it arrived there at around 08:40 local time, according to the Aviation Safety Network. By the time flight 655 left Bandar Abbas, at 10:17, it had a total of 290 people onboard. This figure comprised 274 passengers and 16 members of crew. The aircraft operating the flight was EP-IBU, an [Airbus](https://simpleflying.com/tag/airbus/) A300 that, according to [ATDB.aero](https://atdb.aero/), had joined Iran Air as a brand-new aircraft in April 1982, a month after first flying. ![A300\_Iran\_Air\_EP-IBT\_THR\_May\_2010](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) Iran Air still flies examples of the Airbus A300 today. Photo: [Khashayar Talebzadeh via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A300_Iran_Air_EP-IBT_THR_May_2010.jpg) Stay informed: [Sign up](https://simpleflying.com/email-newsletters-in-post/) for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. ## Disaster over the Gulf As established, Iran Air flight 655 left Bandar Abbas at 10:17 local time, departing on a 210-degree heading in the direction of the airport's runway. With the flight scheduled to take just 28 minutes, air traffic control instructed it to climb to a cruising altitude of just 14,000 feet after departure. It was cleared to fly to Dubai via an aerial corridor known as A59, which was around 20 miles (32 km) wide. However, just seven minutes after departing Bandar Abbas, at 10:24 local time, the Airbus [A300](https://simpleflying.com/tag/airbus-a300/) operating Iran Air flight 655 was struck by a surface-to-air missile, having climbed through 12,000 feet. This was one of two fired at the jet by the USS Vincennes, a guided-missile cruiser boat operated by the US Navy. The force of the missile's impact caused the aircraft to break apart in mid-air, with its wreckage falling into the sea below. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 290 people onboard, and the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorders were never found. This begged the question as to why the US Navy would shoot down a civilian airliner, a debate that remains disputed today. ![1024px-USS\_Vincennes\_returns\_to\_San\_Diego\_Oct\_1988](https://static0.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/1024px-USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) The USS Vincennes was commissioned in July 1985. Photo: [US Navy via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Vincennes_returns_to_San_Diego_Oct_1988.jpg) The airline industry is always full of new developments! What [aviation news](https://simpleflying.com/category/aviation-news/) will you check out next? ## Differing accounts The US Navy claimed to have launched the attack on Iran Air flight 655 on the grounds that the A300 had been identified as a hostile F-14 fighter jet. It reportedly only fired the missiles after having attempted to contact the aircraft. In any case, the ship was found to have been within Iranian waters at the time of the attack. Iran argued that, due to this, the Vincennes had no right to shoot anything in its airspace not following an attack profile, regardless of the aircraft type. The country also refused to accept that the shootdown was a case of mistaken identity. Instead, Iran deemed the attack to be intentional and unlawful, even going as far as to state that the negligence involved constituted a crime. The [US Government](https://simpleflying.com/tag/us-government/) never formally apologized, but did pay the victims' families \$61.8 million. Source: [Aviation Safety Network](https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19880703-0)
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