Freighter crashes in Iraq

An Antonov An-12 freighter crashed in the desert just west of Baghdad on 13 November killing all seven people on board. It had just taken off from al-Asad air base flying to Baghdad International Airport when it lost radio contact after reporting a malfunction. Witnesses said it was in flames before it crashed.

The Ukrainian-built An-12 is reported to have been owned by British Gulf International (associated with known gun-runner Viktor Bout) and operated by a company called Falcon Aviation Group and was carrying FedEx cargo.

The area was once a hotbed of Iraq’s Sunni insurgency, but there was no suggestion the plane had come under attack before crashing. It had just taken off from al-Asad air base flying to Baghdad International Airport when it lost radio contact after reporting a malfunction. Witnesses said it was in flames before it crashed.

The Ukrainian-built An-12 is reported to have been owned by British Gulf International (associated with known gun-runner Viktor Bout) and operated by a company called Falcon Aviation Group and was carrying FedEx cargo.

The area was once a hotbed of Iraq’s Sunni insurgency, but there was no suggestion the plane had come under attack before crashing.

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