An Iranian Yakovlev Yak-40 crashed during a domestic flight on 17 May, killing all 30 on board. The dead included the country's transport minister, four deputy ministers and seven members of parliament.
The short-haul tri-jet (EP-TQ) was flying from Tehran to Gorgan, 300km (190 miles) north east of the capital. It is believed that the aircraft, wet-leased by Faraz Qeshm Air from Armenian Airlines, was hit by lightning which affected its navigation equipment. The pilot had announced his intention either to return to Tehran or to divert to a closer airport, but the aircraft crashed in hills near Sari, 125km west south west of Gorgan.
Russian engineers have arrived in Iran to analyse flight data recorder information. The Iranian civil aviation authority had earlier ordered Iranian air carriers to dispose of Yak-40s, which have a poor safety record, by the end of the year.
Source: Flight International
