Tehran: An Iranian US-manufactured F-14
fighter jet crashed early on Thursday minutes after takeoff, killing
both crew, the Fars news agency reported.
"The pilot and the co-pilot of an F-14 plane that crashed
this morning have been martyred," the news agency quoted the
governor of Bushehr province on the Gulf coast, Jafar
Pourkabgani, as saying.
"The plane crashed due to technical failure and the
investigation is ongoing," he added.
Iran retains a fleet of US-manufactured aircraft that it
bought before the Islamic revolution of 1979.
Sanctions against Iran's controversial nuclear programme
have taken a heavy toll on Iran's ability to maintain the
fleet.
Iran has suffered a string of serious air accidents over
the past decade that have cost more than 900 lives.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 26, 2012, 16:22