German-registered Citation Crashes in Iraq

Investigation has started into last Thursday’s crash of a Citation I/SP in mountains in northern Iraq. The accident was fatal to all aboard, reportedly four or five passengers and two pilots. The twinjet (German registry D-IMRX, S/N 688) was on a business flight from Baku, Azerbaijan to Sulaimaniya, Iraq. Earlier, the aircraft had flown from Munich to Baku via Budapest. As the aircraft descended through 8,000 feet, it disappeared from ATC radar screens and crashed near Boushin, Iraq. Rescuers didn’t find the wreckage until three days later. It is believed that Lech Air was operating the aircraft for its owner, German construction company Hasit Trockenmörtel. There were no immediate indications that the Citation had been shot down. Weather, including snow, was a possible factor, according to one report.