Update of yesterday's story
The authorities in Iran are facing bitter criticism over Tuesday's crash of an ageing military transport plane that killed about 110 people. Reports say the plane had experienced technical problems all morning, causing the take-off to be delayed for hours. The BBC's correspondent in Tehran, Frances Harrison, says some unconfirmed reports claim the pilot himself was unhappy about the condition of the plane and the same plane nearly crashed in the desert a week ago. Its engines had to be switched on and off five times before it could take off on its final flight, she says.
On Wednesday, Tehran's prosecutor said that a court nearby the airport would investigate the crash. But the investigation will not be aided by a black box - the data collection devices usually mounted in the tail of an aircraft. The deputy commander of the Iranian army, Brig Gen Mohammad Hasan Nami, said Iranian military aircraft were not equipped with the devices. Brig Gen Nami also rejected accusations that the plane was allowed to take off in spite of technical problems.
The C-130 came down in a densely-populated residential district of south-west Tehran and ploughed into a 10-storey apartment block, setting it on fire. Among those killed were 68 journalists being flown to the southern city of Bandar Abbas to report on military exercises. The Iranian culture minister, Mohammad Hoseyn Saffar-Harandi, called the crash a "disaster for the journalistic community" and declared a day of mourning.
Iran's media has been scathing about the lack of adequate safety checks said to be a widespread issue in Iran. A Hamshahri editorial demanded that the authorities explain why a plane said to have technical problems was authorised to take off. It also pointed out that the "aeroplane had requested an emergency landing twice yesterday and the control tower didn't issue landing permission". In the reformist Sharq newspaper, Rasul Khadem, a member of Tehran City Council, attacked the military for taking unnecessary risks.
Army officials have strongly denied any negligence and because this was a military flight, many people are wary about asking tough questions about their safety procedures.
The Iranian air force is believed to have about 15 US-made C-130s in operation, dating back to before the 1979 Islamic revolution and the US boycott of Iran. The country's civil and military aircraft have a poor safety record. Officials blame the high frequency of crashes on a lack of aviation spare parts due to US sanctions. |