An Iran Air ATR 72-600 diverted back to its departure airport after its right-hand side engine was seen burning out mid-flight.

The Iran Air ATR72-600 (registered EP-ITB). departed Tehran International Airport (THE) at 6:34 AM local time (UTC +3:30) for its intended destination Dezful Airport (DEF), Iran. The turboprop carried 34 passengers and seven crew members onboard the flight, according to the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CAO.IRI).

Shortly after take-off, the right-hand engine failed and shut down mid-air. After circling twice just south of the airport, the Iran Air ATR72 returned to Tehran International Airport (THE) and conducted an emergency landing, 40 minutes after it initially took off.

“At present, the inspectors of the Civil Aviation Organization are present in the hangar of IranAir,” read a statement by Hassan Rezaeifar, the head of CAO.IRI’s accident investigation board. “It should be noted that the passengers of this flight were transferred to Dezful by an alternative,” he added, indicating that no injuries were sustained onboard the aircraft.

The aircraft in question was delivered to Iran Air in May 2017 straight from ATR’s factory located in Toulouse, France. The aircraft was part of an order for 20 turboprops, signed by the airline and ATR in February 2016. However, the manufacturer was able to deliver only 13 of the turboprops due to US-imposed sanctions, which prevented US-based businesses to conduct sales with Iran. In August 2018, ATR rushed to deliver five 72-600 aircraft to the Tehran-based airline, a day before the sanctions took effect. 

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