Four people died Tuesday when an Iranian Army helicopter went down in a fruit market located in the central Isfahan province, according to state media reports.
The aircraft crashed in Dorcheh city, sparking a blaze that emergency responders were able to extinguish. Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the incident, along with two market vendors.
Aviation experts point to Iran’s troubled history with aircraft safety, noting frequent crashes involving planes purchased prior to the nation’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Many of these older aircraft lack access to genuine replacement parts needed for proper upkeep.
This latest incident follows another recent crash just one week ago, when an American-made F-4 fighter jet belonging to Iran’s air force went down during a training exercise in Hamadan province’s western region, resulting in one pilot’s death.
