A Caspian Airlines Tu-154M crashed yesterday morning shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 156 passengers and 12 crew onboard in the fourth major fatal commercial accident this year and the third in just a little over six weeks. Caspian Flight 7908 was on its way to Yerevan but slammed into the earth near Qazvin some 16 min. after takeoff, creating a 10-m.-deep crater, according to the Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network. The 22-year-old aircraft "exploded on impact and disintegrated," it said.

US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident in which a Southwest Airlines 737-300 flying Monday from Nashville to Baltimore made an emergency landing in Charleston, W.Va., owing to "a 1 ft. hole. . .discovered in the top of the fuselage" that caused cabin depressurization. There were no injuries reported. SWA said yesterday it had inspected its more than 180 -300s following the incident and found no similar structural problems.

BAE Systems Asset Management placed one BAe 146-200 (delivered) with Indonesia's PT Nusantara Air Charter and another BAe 146-200 (to be delivered this month) with Indonesia's PT Aviastar Mandiri.

Volvo Aero Norway signed an agreement with Snecma to supply components for CFM56-7BE engines.

Air France will review crew training and the quality of its weather information, CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said last week in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, adding that not being able to detect a severe storm on radar may have played a role in the May 31 A330-200 accident that killed all 228 passengers and crew.

Embraer confirmed yesterday that three E-190s originally announced Tuesday as part of a fleet renewal by Algeria's Tassili Airlines never were finalized and that "specific conditions" requested by Tassili were not agreed to by the Brazilian manufacturer. "Embraer was disqualified from the public bid" by Tassili for new aircraft, the manufacturer said (ATWOnline, July 9).

Tassili Airlines parent Groupe Sonatrach released a statement yesterday saying that an order for three E-190s announced on Tuesday has not been confirmed (ATWOnline, July 8) but that it did plan to sign a contract yesterday with Boeing for four 737-800s worth $228.4 million.

Focus Aviation was selected by Air Jamaica to remarket two CFM56-powered A320-200s.