Passenger jet crashes on takeoff in Iran, killing 48
Sunday, 10 August 2014
An Iranian regional passenger plane crashed on Sunday while taking off from the capital, Tehran, killing 48 people onboard, state media reported. The aircraft, an Iran-140 typically used for short domestic flights, crashed near Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported. The plane went down in a residential area after its engine went out, the agency reported. Iranian state television said 48 people were killed in the crash: 40 passengers and eight crew members. The plane, operated by Sepahan Air, was heading to Tabas, a town in eastern Iran. It took off at 9:20 am local time (0450 GMT) and crashed shortly afterward. The Iran-140 is a twin-engine turboprop plane based on Ukrainian technology that is assembled under license in Iran. It is a version of the Antonov An-140 regional plane and can carry up to 52 passengers, according to UNB.