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VOA — An Iranian commercial plane crashed Sunday in a foggy, mountainous region of southern Iran, killing all 66 people on board, state media reported. 
An Aseman Airlines ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, went down near its destination of the southern Iranian city of Yasuj, some 780 kilometers (485 miles) south of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Aseman Airlines spokesman Mohammad Taghi Tabatabai told state TV that all on Flight No. 3704 were killed. The plane carried 60 passengers, including one child, and six crew members.
Fog keeps rescuers away
Because of the foggy conditions, rescue helicopters couldn’t reach the crash site in the Zagros Mountains, state TV reported. Tabatabai said the plane crashed into Mount Dena, which is about 440-meters (1,440-feet) tall.
Aseman Airlines has a fleet of 29 aircraft, including six ATR aircraft, according to FlightRadar24, a plane-tracking website. It is Iran’s third-largest airline by fleet size, behind state carrier Iran Air and Mahan Air.
The Iranian Red Crescent said it has deployed to the area. Authorities said they would be investigating. Locals described hearing the crash, though no one had found the crash site yet, according to state TV.
Iranian fleet old, in disrepair
Under decades of international sanctions, Iran’s commercial passenger aircraft fleet has aged, with air accidents occurring regularly in recent years.
Following the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, Iran signed deals with both Airbus and Boeing to buy scores of passenger planes worth tens of billions of dollars. U.S. politicians have expressed concern about the airplane sales to Iran. President Donald Trump remains skeptical of the atomic accord overall and has refused to re-certify it, putting the deal in question.
