IRGC Air Force Antonov AN-74T-200 plane crash
Tehran, Iran
Updated on
An Iranian military Antonov-74 plane heading towards the southern Iranian city of Shiraz on a military mission crashed at
Tehran International Mehrabad Airport, Iran, immediately after take-off. The russain-made airplane was belonging to the
Islamic Revolution's Guard Corps (IRGC) and was on an ordinary military mission.
During take-off, one of its two engines caught fire. The airplane lost thrust and was not able to gain altitude. Then, the
crash was unavoidable. The plane burst into flames when it impacted the ground.
30 revolutionary guards along with the plane's six crew were killed. Two of the plane's passengers, both revolutionary
guards, survived.
The root cause of the accident is probably a technical failure of the engine due to a bad maintenance. Revolutionary Guards
Commander-in-Chief has denied that sabotage is likely to be a cause.
Air safety experts say Iran has a poor record, with a string of crashes involving Russian-made aircraft having occurred in
recent decades. Sanctions imposed by the United States and insufficient technical maintenance are a major headache for
military and civil aviation in Iran and the main reasons for the frequent crashes in the country. Indeed, Iran is not
allowed to buy modern American or European aircraft and, therefore, buy old Russian aircraft. Moreover, the country has a
lot of difficulties to get the tools and parts necessary to maintain properly its aging fleet.
