Majlis Development Committee Spokesperson: Iran-140 Will Not Return to Skies

The Majlis Development Committee spokesperson says that the Iran-140 airplanes will no longer be permitted to fly over the Iranian airspace. 

Speaking to Rooz, Mehrdad Lahouti claimed that the Majlis Development Committee’s report on the Iran-140 plane crash will be read on an open Majlis session next week in the presence of the Iranian transportation minister.

While the head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, Ali Jahangirian, has blamed hot weather and low altitude for the Iran-140 crash and the death of at least 40 of its passengers, Mr. Lahouti asserts that the Civil Aviation Organization has not yet informed the Majlis of the cause of the crash.

The Tabas-bound Iran-140 passenger plane crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran’s international airport on August 10.  Following the crash, members of the Majlis Development Committee claimed that they had voiced their concerns during the production of the plane and were cautious and uncertain about the plane’s security and it’s engine’s durability.

Previously, experts and Majlis representatives had claimed that Iran-140 was unsafe because the main engine used in the plane is a helicopter engine. The engine must therefore be modified to produce enough thrust, resulting in very high temperatures and potential fires.

In effect, Civil Aviation Organization officials were aware of the plane’s deficiency and temperature and fire hazard before issuing permission for the plane’s flight.  In his remarks, Ali Jahangirian did not mention why the plane was permitted to fly in light of such hazards.

Commenting on Jahangirian’s remarks, Mehrdad Lahouti tells Rooz: “The results of the [Civil Aviation Organization’s] investigation has not been communicated to the Majlis Committee. The head of the Civil Aviation Organization simply gave an interview and announced the results of the investigation, but the Committee has a sub-committee on transportation that must review the Civil Aviation Organization’s report after it is officially forwarded to the Majlis. At that point the sub-committee’s report is combined with the Civil Aviation Organization’s report and the result is read in an open session on the Majlis floor.”

Lahouti also addressed Jahangirian’s remarks blaming hot weather for the plane’s crash: “The better course of action would have been for the Civil Aviation Organization to take the plane’s capabilities into account before permitting it to fly, and therefore permitting it to fly only in areas where the climate is suitable for the plane’s operation.”

Previously Iranian president Hassan Rouhani had ordered all of Iran’s Iran-140 planes grounded until the final reason for the latest crash is determined. Mr. Lahouti, however, claims that this type of plan will never again be permitted to transport passengers over Iranian skies.