Iran accident
 

BBC reporting an air crash in Iran. > 100 pax on board. No further info on their web site yet.

link to the story here

BBC News - Iranian passenger plane 'crashes'

A French radio just informed that an Iranian airplane crashed in the North of Iran. About 150 passangers on board and about 50 escaped/survived.

The A/C is B727-200, EP-IRP
After go-around the aircraft hits to mountains around Oroumieh (NW of Iran)
105 people were on borad

casualties.
 

Associated Press report (here as used in the Independent, UK), reports 45 killed, 50 survivors.

45 people killed in Iranian plane crash - Middle East, World - The Independent

Accident time weather (source Ogimet home page ) :
OITR 091800Z 29004KT 0500 +SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1016=
OITR 091750Z 29004KT 0500 +SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1016=
OITR 091700Z 33004KT 0600 +SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1016=
OITR 091650Z 33004KT 0600 +SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1016=
OITR 091600Z 26004KT 0800 SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1016=
OITR 091550Z 26004KT 0800 SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1016=
OITR 091500Z 24006KT 0800 +SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1015=
OITR 091450Z 24006KT 0800 +SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1015=
OITR 091400Z 29004KT 0800 +SN SCT015 SCT020 OVC060 00/00 Q1015=

The ILS procedure for runway 21 (elevation 4,274ft) has 800m RVR minima ...

Anyone whom has flown in the northern part of Iran in the wintertime (as I certainly have, with 4-engine heavy jet and large turbopropeller types...CATII approved as well) can tell you about some of the most adverse weather conditions you might imagine....:yuk:
Makes Europe look like childs play.

411A I operated to THR in late 70's with KAC on B707 320-C and do not recall weather in winter being any different to that in Europe and certainly not CAT11 then.

Missed Approach !
 

Crash Iran Air
B727 iranair EP-IRP after missed approach crash in uromiyeh :(( :(

Keep in mind that the IranAir B727's (many of them, anyway) are older than dirt, and...due to western sanctions, have little in the way of adequate spares support.
A causitive factor?
Just a thought, but...time will tell.

I got up close not so long ago to a few Iranian airliners and I can confirm that they don't appear to be in good condition. The Fokker's in particular seemed patched up and the jetpipe noise and visible exhaust gases seemed excessive to me.

The METAR for the time of the accident seems to indicate weather quite acceptable for a CAT I approach pending the light facilities at OITR.

Just because the MET Viz is 600 doesn't mean to say that the RVR isn't greater than that required for a CAT I!

fmgc;

Did you mean to say lower or did you beat me to it looking up the approach charts for OITR? Just had a quick look and the required visibility for the approach is 800m unless coming down on a LTS CAT I or with EVS which I much doubt was fitted to the airframe in question. I am well aware of the fact that the RVR value is usually higher than the reported met vis.

That is what I was saying in response to Kyprianos Biris who seemed to be implying that they made an approach below minimas, which isn't necessarily the case, we do not know what the RVR was which can often be greater then the met vis.

Oh, my apologies. I thought he highlighted the two METARs just to amplify the time of the accident. Sorry, I completely misunderstood your post. I thought you had a go at me for saying that the weather indicated it would be acceptable CAT I, but as it turned out, based on met vis alone it wouldn't be, not at 16:50 anyway.

Mehr News Agency reports:

Photos by Esfandiar Asgharkhani, Mehr News Agency

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n...Orumiyeh00.jpg


http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n...Orumiyeh01.jpg

GobonaStick

In the US, there would not be a question of spares support, but there is in Iran. The embargoes are, no doubt, a factor, whether you or I agree with them. In Iran, there have been questions about airworthiness in past, far too many, crashes. So, yes, it is a legitimate question, if very speculative. But when has speculation not taken a backseat here at Pprune.

GF

OK - surely though if you can not maintain a 'plane or any vehicle for that matter to a suitable standard - you don't use it. To do so if that is not case is criminal irresponsibility. Sanctions or not.

There were over 10,000 exceptions to the U.S sanctions against Iran (With U.S. consent, companies skirt sanctions on Iran, others - The Denver Post) & I guess whilst aircraft parts would not be excepted it would be valid to find out if the sanctions in place would restrict Iran from obtaining parts necessary for the safe flight of civilian aircraft. i.e. Are they told they can not have or do they not ask?