Iran Air Flight 655
The Aegis system was involved in a disaster in which USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 during 1988 resulting in 290 civilian deaths.
It was determined by a formal military investigation that the Aegis system was completely operational and did not have any maintenance problems. The investigation ruled that had the commanding officer relied on the complete tactical data displayed by the Aegis system the engagement might never have occurred. Additionally, psychological effects of the crew subconsciously manipulating the data to accord with a predefined scenario greatly contributed to the false identification. The investigation found that the Aegis Combat System did not contribute to the incident, but did aid in the investigation by means of recorded target data. The discrepancies are as follows:
| Aegis Data Report | Personnel Report To CO |
|---|---|
| Iran Air Flight 655 continuously ascended in duration of flight | Iran Air Flight 655, after attaining 9000 to 12,000 ft (3,700 m)., reportedly descended on an attack vector on USS Vincennes |
| Iran Air Flight 655 continuously squawked Mode III identification, friend or foe (IFF) in duration of flight | Iran Air Flight 655 reportedly squawked Mode II (Iranian F-14 Tomcat) IFF for a moment; personnel proceeded to re-label the target from "Unknown Assumed Enemy" to "F-14" |
| Iran Air Flight 655 held consistent climb speed in duration of flight | Iran Air Flight 655 was reported to increase in speed to an attack vector similar to an F-14 Tomcat |
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