In Iran, a passenger jet began coming apart during an emergency return

A Sepehran Airlines Boeing 737 flying from Mashhad to Kermanshah was forced to turn back shortly after take-off after a landing-gear tyre reportedly detached, causing an engine-related problem and severe vibrations.

The aircraft shook so violently that sections of the cabin ceiling and overhead fittings came loose, while baggage spilt into the cabin, causing panic among passengers.

The pilots brought the aircraft safely back to Mashhad, where it made an emergency landing. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

The incident once again draws attention to the ageing condition of Iran’s commercial aircraft fleet. Sepehran operates Boeing 737-300s and 737-500s, many of which are around 30 years old or more.

Iran’s aviation industry has long struggled with international sanctions that severely restrict access to Western aircraft, spare parts, and maintenance services. Iranian aviation officials have reported that a substantial proportion of the country’s passenger fleet is routinely grounded because of technical problems and spare-part shortages.

The frightening scenes aboard this flight show what passengers experienced when those problems became dramatically visible inside the cabin.

One additional detail worth mentioning: Sepehran currently operates 11 Boeing 737-300/500 aircraft, according to Flightradar24, and individual aircraft in the fleet include examples aged about 29, 30, 33 and 35 years.