Caspian Airlines Crash - Kills all 168 on Board

Summary - Caspian Airlines flight 7908 crashed killing all 168 people on board including 153 passengers and 15 crew members. The plane crashed at approximately 11:30 am on July 15, just minutes after take-off from Tehran. Seems the tail of the plane suddenly caught on fire and the pilot was unsuccessful in finding a safe place to land and crashed into a field.

When did the crash / air tragedy occur?
11:33 Iran Daylight Time on July 15, 2009.

Which airline was involved?
Caspian Airlines, and one of its Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft.

What happened?
Caspian Airlines flight 7908 crashed killing all 168 people on board including 153 passengers and 15 crew members. The plane crashed at approximately 11:30 am on July 15, just minutes after take-off from Tehran. Seems the tail of the plane suddenly caught on fire and the pilot was unsuccessful in finding a safe place to land and crashed into a field. The plane was said to have been seen as basically falling from the sky. The flight was en route from Tehran, Iran to Yerevan, Armenia when the crash occurred.

What was the cause / Who is to blame?
Right now it seems early to establish cause and blame.

Any further safety issues?
Iran's aviation safety record has been criticized over the years, and many countries have cited poor maintenance as an issue.

Phone contacts as well as the passenger and crew list have been published on Caspian Airlines' website. The direct link to the phone number and list.