Syrian Air Flight 9218
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.jpg) YK-ATA, the aircraft involved in the occurence, in May 2008 | |
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | 8 December 2024 |
| Summary | Disappeared from civilian radar, Cause unknown. |
| Site | Near Homs, Syria 34°44'17.8"N 36°31'50.1"E |
| Total fatalities | Unknown |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Ilyushin Il-76T |
| Operator | Syrian Air |
| IATA flight No. | RB9218 |
| ICAO flight No. | SYR9218 |
| Call sign | SYRIANAIR 9218 |
| Registration | YK-ATA |
| Flight origin | Damascus International Airport, Damascus, Syria |
| Stopover | Homs |
| 1st stopover | Homs |
| Destination | Unknown, most likely Moscow |
| Occupants | 2+ |
| Passengers | 1+ |
| Crew | Unknown |
| Fatalities | Unknown |
| Injuries | Unknown |
| Missing | 1+ |
| Survivors | 1+? (Unknown) |
Syrian Air Flight 9218 (YK-ATA) was a flight that disappeared off of civilian radar while flying from Damascus Airport near Homs while carrying President Bashar al-Assad, who was fleeing to Russia after the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives overthrew the Syrian government.[1] Reuters said two sources believed there was a high chance that the plane crashed or was shot down, as it showed a barometric altitude of 1,625 ft and a ground speed of 130 knots (149.6 mph/240.76 kph).[2][3] However, it was later reported that Assad arrived in Moscow and was granted political asylum.[4]
Flight
According to Flightradar24, the Ilyushin Il-76 plane took off from Damascus on 8 December, just before rebels took the city. It flew northwest, heading towards Iraq, then turned towards Homs.[5] The plane quickly lost height and disappeared from radar near Al-Rabwah, west of Homs.[6][7][8][9][2] It's unclear who was on board, but some believed Bashar al-Assad might have been trying to escape on the plane.[8][9][3]
News sources close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said there was unconfirmed information that a plane with Bashar al-Assad on board either crashed or made an emergency landing in an unknown place.[10] A Syrian source mentioned that a broken transponder might have caused the plane to disappear from radar, but a more likely explanation was that the plane was "taken down".[11][2] However, Ukrainian officials said that the plane had its tracking system turned off so that no one could find where the plane was actually going.[12]
References
- ↑ Finnerty, Ryan (8 December 2024). "Syrian Il-76 disappears from flight tracking amid uncertainty over fate of dictator Assad". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Flightradar24. "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Al-Khalidi, Suleiman; Azhari, Timour; Taha, Jaida (7 December 2024). "Syrian army command tells officers that Assad's rule has ended, officer says". Reuters. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ "Syria's Assad and his family are in Moscow after Russia granted them asylum, say Russian news agencies". reuters.com. December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ↑ "'New era, free of Assad': Syria rebels announce as Army puts in arms". Hindustan Times. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ Ravid, Barak (8 December 2024). "Assad regime collapses as Syrian rebels enter Damascus". Axios. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ "Assad leaves Damascus as rebels enter Syria's capital, says senior army officers". The Star. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Burns, Brain (8 December 2024). "Syrian President's Fate Uncertain After Plane Disappears From Radar". Tampa Free Press. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Rapid descent of jet leaving Damascus sparks speculation". i. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ "أنباء عن اختفائها.. هل تحطمت طائرة بشار الأسد؟". Erem News (in العربية). 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ Al-Atrush, Samer; Weiniger, Gabrielle; Charter, David (8 December 2024). "Syria latest: Search for Assad as rebels seize Damascus". The Times. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ "Russia possibly stages plane crash to cover Assad evacuation – Ukraine intelligence". Ukrinform. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
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