Second Accident In Five Weeks Claims Guard Commander

There are conflicting reports coming from Northern Iran regarding the nature of an accident involving a Dassault Falcon 20 twinjet Monday near the Turkish border. It is believed that as many as 13 died in the accident, including the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards ground forces.

According to Iranian state media reports, the Falcon 20 (file photo of type, above) was attempting an emergency landing at Oroumieh when its landing gear jammed. It is not known how this led to the fatal mishap, nor what other factors led to the emergency landing attempt.

The accident is the latest in a series of fatal mishaps involving Iranian aircraft, as well as the second in just over a month for the Iranian military. As was reported in Aero-News, on December 6 a C-130 transport went down shortly after takeoff from Tehran's Mehrabad airport, resulting in the deaths of 115 people. Many of those fatalities were journalists who had been onboard the aircraft, heading to report on military training exercises.

In addition to the December accident, in 2003 a Russian-made Il-76 carrying Guards members went down in southeast Iran, killing 302 people.

The Guards commander who died in Monday's accident was identified as General Ahmad Kazemi, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. The agency quoted Guards spokesman General Masoud Jazayeri, who added 10 other military officers were also killed.

Kazemi, a veteran of the 1980-1988 war with Iraq, was appointed five months ago as commander of the Guards' ground forces. The Revolutionary Guards are a separate outfit from the regular Iranian armed forces, and where formed following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

FMI: www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/