I've been gathering information for years about the 1976 Turkish Airlines 727 crash, in which a close friend of my mother's was killed together with other 153 people, many of which were Italians. I'm the only "aviator" in my family, and, as a newly-graduated aeronautical engineer and full-time aviation enthusiast, probably the only one that may understand more deeply the causes of the crash, going beyond the plain "pilot error" explanation that was given to the victims' relatives, and that was the only thing known for decades within my family.

Unluckily, there seems to be very few information around about the accident. I'm now posting all the data I've been able to gather, and I ask you to add or correct information.

On 19 September 1976, the flight, operated by 727-2F2Adv TC-JBH (named "Antalya"), originated in Milan, Italy, bound for Istanbul and Antalya. The Milan-Istanbul leg was routine. The 727 then departed Istanbul, with a routing via the Yalova and Afyon VORs, which is consistent with the VA16 airway. After passing the Afyon VOR, the flight proceeded directly to Antalya. After some minutes, the crew called Antalya tower reporting runway lights in sight, and requesting a runway 36 approach. The tower cleared the flight for the approach, but warned them they didn't have the aircraft in sight. It appears that the "runway" was in reality a boulevard in Isparta, some 100 km north of Antalya. The Isparta boulevard had approximately the same magnetic heading than the Antalya runway. But while on the extended runway centerline there was the sea, on the extended boulevard centerline there were Karatepe mountains. The crew descended over the darkness of what they believed to be the sea, and flew the 727 into a mountain at 23.15.

Anything wrong? Do you have any more information?

I-DAWA.