Ukrainian plane changed directions before it crashed in Iran and killed all 176 people aboard, report says.
A Ukrainian jetliner that crashed shortly after takeoff in Iran was on fire before it plunged to the ground, an initial report said Thursday. The Iranian Civil Aviation authority released the report, citing witnesses. It said the plane also changed directions after a problem and turned back toward the airport.
The Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran early Wednesday, killing all 176 people aboard.
At first, Iranian state media blamed technical issues on the crash while Ukraine ruled out rocket attacks. But officials in both countries have since walked back their statements and declined to speculate on the cause.
Given the level of the crew’s experience, it’s unlikely the crash was the result of the error, Ukraine International Airlines said.
Tehran’s airport is complicated and the pilots required several years of training to use it, said Yevhenii Dykhne, president of Ukraine International Airlines. The captain had 11,600 hours of flying on a Boeing 737 aircraft while the pilot had 12,000 hours on the aircraft.
The crash came hours after Iran fired missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for the killing of its general, leading to speculation over the timing of the incident.
