According to preliminary data 35 Armenians, 4 of them the RA citizens, died in Tehran-Yerevan plane crash. Their names are as follows: Ashot Nersisyan, Artur Grigoryan, Karine Margaryan, Ara Shiroyan. Arsen Poghosyan, the Deputy Director of the RA Civil Aviation Department, informed NEWS.am. He said out of 15 crew members 2 were Armenians. 2 Armenian aircraft mechanics, Grigor Barseghyan and Suren Soghomonyan, died too.

“At the moment we cooperate with the Iranian Civil Aviation Authority to clarify the details,” he stated.

Poghosyan said that the plane was operated by Iranian side and they are in charge of all security and control issues. The Armenian side was not aware of the plane conditions. The plane was supposed to appear in radar control area at 12:50 pm, but Iranian side stated it was out of radar coverage already at 12:40.

The crew attempted to make an emergency landing but failed, this could cause the crash. Serob Karapetyan, the Head of GDCA Flight Safety Inspection Department said there was a possibility of explosion in one of the aircraft engines, though it is only a version.