"A Hungarian plane that was flying the crew that took control of Kabul airport on October 1 was forced to land in Iran on September 30, it was revealed on Tuesday. Yesterday’s initial Iranian reports said that the plane was a US aircraft.The plane was allowed to fly on after the crew and passengers were questioned by Iranian authorities.
Defence Ministry spokesman István Bocskai said the civilian airplane carrying four Hungarian soldiers and four crew had to land in Teheran due to a clerical error.
Hungarian ambassador to Afghanistan Sándor Mátyus told Népszabadság that the Iranian authorities had a problem with the flyover permit. The red tape characteristic of the region was coupled with the fact that Hungarian authorities had applied for a permit too late and did not specify the destination, he said.
However, Foreign Ministry sources said the plane strayed into Iranian air space due to an incorrect flight plan.
The aircraft, hired by Hungarian company Jas Cargo, flew to Budapest from the Isle of Man, picked up its passengers in Budapest and then landed in Trabzon, Turkey, Magyar Nemzet reports. There a flight number was changed in its flight plan before flying over Iran to Afghanistan.
Although the flight had diplomatic permits from both countries, Iranian air force fighter jets surrounded the plane and forced it to land in Tehran. It was then surrounded by soldiers who pointed guns at the passengers and crew and took them away for questioning. After the situation was clarified, the plane was allowed to fly on."
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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08.10.2008