ANKARA — 1983 · Major Tragedy

Turkish Airlines Flight 158: A Snowy Night at Esenboğa

ClosedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

On the night of 16 January 1983, the Turkish Airlines Boeing 727 'Afyon', operating a Paris–Istanbul–Ankara service, struck the ground about 50 metres short of the runway while trying to land at Ankara Esenboğa Airport in heavy snow, wind and very poor visibility. As it skidded onto the runway the aircraft broke into three pieces and its mid-section caught fire. There were 67 people on board, 60 passengers and 7 crew; 47 were killed and 20 survived. The survivors included all of the crew. The accident occurred during an approach in bad weather and was one of the worst air crashes ever to happen in Ankara. It is recorded as one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Turkey.

Date: 1983
Place: Çubuk (Esenboğa), Ankara
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Closed
Coordinates: 40.1150, 32.9900 ↗

Timeline of Events

16 January 1983Flight 158 left Paris for Ankara via Istanbul.
16 January 1983, nightThe aircraft struck the ground short of the Esenboğa runway in heavy snow.

16 January 1983The fuselage broke into three and caught fire; 47 people died.
AftermathTwenty people survived, including crew members.

Sources

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