Caspian Air 7908 Crashes In Qazvin, Iran

"Caspian Air Crash" has becomes a hot keywords in Google Trends today following the real crash of Caspian Air flight 7908 in the Qazvin province, northwestern Iran. According to CNN, 168 people killed in Iranian air crash.

The Tupolev plane was flying from the Iranian capital to Yerevan in Armenia, with mostly Armenian passengers. The cause of the crash, which happened soon after take-off, was not known. Witnesses said it dropped from the sky.

Since Iran's Islamic revolution of 1979, trade embargoes by Western nations have forced Iran to buy mainly Russian-built planes to supplement an existing fleet of Boeings and other American and European models.

The Notoriety Of Iran Air Safety Record

Iran has a notoriously bad air safety record. Because of sanctions imposed by the United States, Iran relies on an increasingly ageing fleet of airliners, and has trouble buying spares.

There are tales of aircrew buying spare parts on flights to Europe, then sneaking them back to Iran in the cockpit. While those sanctions don't apply to aircraft from Russia and Ukraine, many planes from those countries in the Iranian fleet also appear well past their best.

For some people, flying in Iran can be a nerve-wracking experience. Stepping on board, it often becomes quickly apparent you are in a plane that has done many years service.

There are also frequent delays because of the shortage of aircraft. Iranian engineers and aircrew do their best to keep their fleets in service.

IRANIAN PLANE CRASHES
* 6 December, 2005: A C-130 military transport plane crashes on the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, killing 110 people, including some on the ground
* 19 February, 2003: An Iranian military transport aircraft carrying 276 people crashes in the south of the country, killing all on board
* 23 December, 2002: An Antonov 140 commuter plane carrying aerospace experts crashes in central Iran, killing all 46 people on board