Russian pilot blamed for Taban Air Flight 6437 crash

TEHRAN,Dec.27(MNA) – An official inquiry into a plane crash in northeastern Iran in January 2010, which injured 47 people, has concluded that pilot error was to blame. Taban Air Flight 6437 was a scheduled domestic flight that crashed on landing at Mashhad’s Shahid Hasheminejad Airport on January 24, 2010. All 170 people escaped from the burning aircraft without loss of life. The aircraft involved was a Russian-made Tupolev Tu154M plane. Flight 6437 had originated at Abadan and had diverted to Isfahan due to poor visibility in Mashhad. Once visibility improved, the aircraft took off again, but the visibility deteriorated before Flight 6437 could land. The flight was holding near Mashhad when a passenger fell seriously ill. The crew was told and they declared a medical emergency. They decided to land in Mashhad despite the low visibility. During the landing the tail struck the ground causing the aircraft to veer off the runway, the nose gear to collapse, the right wing to strike the ground, and a fire. All passengers and crew survived the accident with 47 receiving injuries. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organization opened an investigation into the accident. According to the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency, the chief investigator in the case has established that pilot error was to blame for the crash and has filed charges against the Russian pilot. The director of the Shahid Hasheminejad Airport has also said that despite adverse weather conditions, the pilot had requested emergency landing and had said that he would take responsibility for his decision. The investigator has also said that if the Russian pilot fails to appear in the court, the ruling will be issued in absentia.