Iranian military plane crashes south of Tehran

[Tintin]

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 5:39 PM on 22nd September 2009


A plane crash that killed up to seven people has marred a parade marking the start of the Iran-Iraq war.

Iranian state media confirmed that a military plane had crashed while performing manoaeuvres for the parade in the village of Vali Abad, near Tehran.

However five hours later the report was removed from the IRNA website.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made no mention of the crash as he told crowds that Iran is stronger than ever, warning that its military will 'cut the hand' of anyone who attacks.

However state TV had earlier shown video footage of burning wreckage from the military plane surrounded by fire trucks in farmlands south of Tehran.

There was not immediate word on the cause of the crash, but the Iranian military - as well its civilian airlines - have been plagued by lethal accidents.

[Niels van Erck]

Il76 , obviously u/s

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[SquAdmin]

In fact, it was their only AWACS.

[Tintin]

Credit: Defense News


TEHRAN - Iran's sole Simorgh AWACS aircraft was lost during a military parade Sept. 22, one of two Iranian military aircraft that crashed in Tehran while participating in a display to mark the anniversary of the start of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force operated a single Simorgh, a former Iraqi Air Force Adnan. The Adnan AWACS was in turn a modification of a Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-76 transport.

The Simorgh collided with one of the Air Force's Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighters over the area of the Imam Khomeyni Shrine, southern Tehran. According to eyewitnesses, the crash occurred immediately after the parade. Apparently, no mayday call was issued.

Both aircraft crashed in flames. Initial reports indicate that seven crewmembers were killed in the crash.

In total, Iraq built three AWACS aircraft, one Baghdad, and two Baghdad-2s, the latter later renamed Adnans. One Adnan and the Baghdad were evacuated to Iran during the 1991 Gulf War, while the second Adnan was destroyed on the ground by a coalition air strike in January 1991.

The exact status of the Iranian Simorgh and its onboard systems was long uncertain. However, photographs suggest that the aircraft was equipped with a newly fitted functioning radar suite.