Technical failures most likely cause of Kish Air crash

Dubai: Technical and operational failures were the most likely causes of the Kish Air Fokker 50 crash in October 2004 near Sharjah airport, according to Mohammad Ganem Al Gaith, Chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The plane, registered in Iran, crashed as it approached the airport, killing 43 of the 46 people on-board. No one on the ground was hurt

Al Gaith said a report by the technical committee formed after the crash suggested no extraordinary reasons were behind it, citing a similar crash of a Fokker 50 in Luxembourg on November 6, 2002.

The report recommended all Fokker 50 pilots read the report and asked the Dutch Civil Aviation Authority to re-check changes made to the air safety devices in all Fokker MK 50s.

Al Gaith thanked the Iranian Civil Aviation Authorities and the Netherlands, in which Fokker aircraft are built, for cooperating with the committee.