ran - Me h rab ad ▁Airport ▁in ▁Iran . ▁There ▁were ▁ 8 ▁crew ▁members ▁and ▁ 1 2 0 ▁passengers ▁on ▁board ▁( initial ▁reports ▁stated ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁ 8 ▁crew ▁members ▁and ▁ 1 1 6 ▁passengers ). ▁ ▁At ▁ 1 8 : 5 2 ▁local ▁time , ▁the ▁controller ▁at ▁Me h rab ad ▁air port ▁in ▁Te h ran ▁gave ▁the ▁crew ▁a ▁direct ▁approach ▁to ▁the ▁run way ▁ 2 9 . ▁Then ▁at ▁about ▁ 1 9 : 0 5 , ▁the ▁dispatch er ▁instruct ed ▁the ▁crew ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁ 3 6 0 ° ▁heading ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁non - direction al ▁be acon ▁of ▁the ▁Var amin ▁approach . ▁Without ▁receiving ▁instructions ▁from ▁the ▁controller , ▁the ▁pil ots ▁were ▁ 1 7 ▁miles ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁off ▁course . ▁During ▁the ▁approach , ▁the ▁first ▁officer ▁told ▁the ▁captain ▁that ▁the ▁V ORT AC ▁was ▁giving ▁the ▁wrong ▁radial ▁course , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁respond ▁to ▁this ▁message . ▁At ▁ 1 9 : 1 1 ▁local ▁time , ▁the ▁aircraft ▁coll ided ▁with ▁the ▁Al bor z ▁Mountains , ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁Te h ran . ▁All ▁ 8 ▁crew ▁members ▁and ▁ 1 2 0 ▁passengers ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁incident , ▁and ▁the ▁plane ▁was ▁destroyed . ▁ ▁C ause ▁ ▁Investig ators ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁probable ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁crash ▁was ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁in oper able ▁instrument ▁landing ▁system ▁and ▁ground ▁rad ar .