Syrian Air Flight 9218
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (December 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
| File:YK-ATA Ilyushin Il-76 (3089322976).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.
This article "Syrian Air Flight 9218" is from Simple English Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Syrian Air Flight 9218.
.jpg){kind=link}