Syrian Air Ilyushin IL-76 has erratic flight before disappearing from tracking
A strange flight by a Syrian Air Ilyushin Il-76 military transport disappeared from ADS-B tracking near Homs early on December 8.
Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was on board the aircraft, registration YK-ATA, but it is unclear whether the four-engine aircraft simply turned off its transponder or had a problem with possible jamming in the area.
The aircraft had taken off from Damascus, the capital of Syria, in the early hours of Sunday morning and was heading east before making a left turn to the northwest and flying over the rebel-held city of Homs.
The ADS-B records then show erratic movements, with the Russian jet reducing its flight altitude until it disappeared east of Homs.
According to Syrian sources consulted by Reuters, Assad could have been on the plane, which was trying to reach Latakia, a Russian air base in Syria.
FlightRadar24 had the closest flight tracked as another IL-76, from the Russian Air Force, taking off from Latakia, heading north.
Over the weekend, Syrian rebels entered Damascus, precipitating the end of the government. Russian media later said Assad and his family had reached Moscow, where they were granted asylum.
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