Iranian Air Force Leader, Military Chiefs Die in Crash
A plane crash killed Iran’s air force commander, four generals and seven other officers, delivering a severe blow to the Iranian military.
The plane carrying Brig. Gen. Mansour Sattari, 46, and his senior aides crashed Thursday night while trying to land at Esfahan in central Iran after developing technical problems, Tehran Radio said Friday.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Ali Shahbazi said the officers had taken off in a Lockheed C-140 JetStar from Esfahan’s Shahid Babaei air base.
“The plane developed a technical fault after a short while. They decided to land in Esfahan again. The plane crashed on the tarmac when landing,” Shahbazi said.
All 12 passengers and crew were killed.
Shahbazi said an investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched.
Tehran Radio said a funeral was held in Esfahan on Friday.
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