another sad plane crash in IRAN

[ali_europe]

Iran plane crash kills 71: report
Last Updated: Sunday, January 9, 2011 | 4:53 PM ET Comments45Recommend34.
The Associated Press
An IranAir jet carrying 106 people crashed as it was making an emergency landing Sunday in a snowstorm in the country's northwest and broke into several pieces, killing 71 of those on board, Iranian media reported.

The others survived, some with only light injuries.

The pilots of the Boeing 727, operated by Iran's national airline, attempted the emergency landing in the city of Orumiyeh after reporting a technical failure to the control tower, the semiofficial Mehr news agency reported, quoting a deputy provincial governor, Ebrahim Fatholahi.

The nature of the technical failure was unclear. A spokesman for the Iranian civil aviation organization, Abbas Mosayebi, said only that the plane "faced an incident," state TV reported.

The network also said the aircraft disappeared from radar and went down in farmland after making a second attempt to land. There was no word on what might have caused the crash. The aircraft was headed from Tehran to Orumiyeh, capital of West Azerbaijan province, a distance of about 736 kilometres.

State TV aired footage showing rescue workers and local farmers searching for survivors Sunday night in parts of the wrecked plane under snowfall and in the darkness.

Thirty-five people survived, including two crew members, said Javad Mahmoudi, another deputy governor for West Azerbaijan, speaking to State TV. He put the number of confirmed dead at 71.

Some of the passengers were only lightly injured and able to walk off the plane and some had to be hospitalized, Mosayebi said.

Heavy snow complicated rescue efforts, said the head of the State Emergency Centre, Gholam Reza Masoumi, according to the semiofficial Fars news agency. That report also said there was fog in the area.

The plane broke into several pieces, but there was no explosion or fire, said Mahmoud Mozaffar, head of the rescue department of Iran's Red Crescent Society, speaking on state TV.

Iran has a history of frequent air accidents blamed on its aging aircraft and poor maintenance. IranAir's fleet includes Boeing and Airbus aircraft, many of them bought before the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, which led to a cutoff in ties with the U.S.

Iranian airlines, including those run by the state, are chronically strapped for cash, and maintenance has suffered, experts say. U.S. sanctions prevent Iran from updating its 30-year-old American aircraft and make it difficult to get European spare parts or planes as well.

In July 2009 a Russian-made jetliner crashed in northwest Iran shortly after taking off from the capital, killing all 168 on board.

In February 2003 a Russian-made Ilyushin 76 carrying members of the Revolutionary Guard crashed in the mountains of southeastern Iran, killing 302 people aboard.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/01/09/iran-plane-crash.html#ixzz1AdAqRDf9

[Afshin]

You can see photos of Iran Air crew that died in the crash on 9th January. 
http://www.aftabnews.ir/vglhz6nzm23nzqd..22sy1vtytx2f.u.html

Whilst I accept the Government of Iran has to accept responsibility for putting the lives of it's nationals at risk by using old and unsafe planes, I blame USA more for the sanctions that is hurting the people of Iran rather than the Government.

US ban on selling spare parts for passenger planes to Iran has lead to many crashes in Iran, this has only killed civilians and has not put any pressure on the Government.  Obama should take a good look at US policy of not selling spare parts for passenger planes to Iran.

[ali_europe]

such embargos never put pressure on governments, but hey cause huge pain on population...similiar to the medication embargo on IRAQ during the 90's...at the end IRAQI people suffered while Saddam had always acces to whatever he needed...

USA is doing a real crime, by not only selling passenger planes to IRAN but also using pressure on other nations to not sell any planes to IRAN...
they even forced Germans to quit a sign contracts to IRAN for some Airbus planes
even the embargo is a criminal act, but I also think Iranian government is disable to find alternative smart solution....
there are few unanswered questions?
A)For example Mahan Air often rent newer planes like A320 from some airlines in the neighbouring countries,so renting newer planes from countries like Turkey or brazil which have good relations to IRAN could be an alternative solution for lot of airlines inside IRAN, while we still seeing lot of planes which are older than 35 years flying around in IRAN

B)Why different Iranian airlines are allowed to buy very old second and even third hand russian airplanes from countries like georgia or Azerbaijan like 25-30 years Tu-154 which even in those countries are out of service? is it cuz of cheap price or are there other political reasons? if IRAN wants to get Russian airplanes, why not newer and modern Russian planes like Tu-204 or Suchoi Superjet?

C)since year 2003 we hear about potential production of newer russian airplanes inside IRAN like Il-96 or Tu-204, but till today I haven't seen any Tu-204 or Il- 96 in colours of any iranian airlines....have even russians under Western pressure decide to not sell new staff to IRAN or isthere any political game behind this?or are any people making money by buying old crappy planes?


D)why is IRAN not leasing 6-7 years old airbuses in huge numbers by countries like Brazil, Turkey, Venezuela etc???


lack of democracy and dictaurship in IRAN might also be a reason why lot of brains as pilots or aviation technicians might have left IRAN in the last decades, so that for sure also has a huge role on the disasterous conditions today