MOSCOW, August 10 (RIA Novosti) - The pilot conducting the passenger plane that crashed near Tehran’s Mehrabad airport could have been Ukrainian, Fars news agency reported Sunday citing a representative of the airport.
The pilot lost control when the plane was approaching the end of the takeoff strip. Earlier reports suggested the engine shutdown could have caused the crash that killed 48 people - 8 crew members and 40 passengers - including several children.
The plane went down Sunday morning in a densely populated residential area in the western district of Iranian capital. No casualties or damage on the ground have been reported yet.
The turboprop An-140 aircraft, owned by one of the local airlines, was en route from Tehran to the city of Tabas in eastern Iran.
According to other reports, the crashed plane was Iran-141 by Taban Airlines. The first Iran-140's design was based on Russian An-140. The Iranian aircraft was built to carry up to 52 passengers on board.
