- The first report into the Ukraine International Airlines disaster in Iran said that the aircraft was on fire in the air before it crashed and had turned back towards Tehran Airport, suggesting it was trying to return.
- Iran's aviation authority released its preliminary report on Thursday, just one day after Ukrainian Flight 752 crashed in Iran and killed all 176 people on board.
- The report said the plane encountered a technical problem, but did not specify what kind.
- Other Iranian authorities had blamed a technical problem in the hours after the crash, but later walked back their statements.
- Speculation is mounting that something else may have happened to the plane amid military tension between the US and Iran and as the airline defends its plane, maintenance, and crew.
- The final investigation into the causes of the crash is likely to take many more months.
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The initial report into the crash of Ukrainian Flight 752 in Iran, that killed all 176 people on board, concluded that the plane was on fire before it crashed, and that it appeared to be trying to turn back as it plunged to the ground.
Iran's Civil Aviation Organization's report into Wednesday's crash said that the jet encountered technical problems soon after it took off en route to Kyiv, Ukraine.
It did not elaborate on what sort of technical problem the plane may have suffered, but the idea that the plane was brought down by technical problems, rather than being shot down or facing another problem, is in line with those that had been released by Iranian authorities in the hours after the crash.
But some of those statements have been walked back since.
The preliminary report was released on Thursday, just one day after the crash, and is not intended as the final report into the disaster. Final reports into aviation disasters tend to take many months, or even years, to be published.
Thursday's report said the plane changed direction after encountering the unidentified technical problem and was facing the direction of Tehran airport when it crashed, suggesting it was trying to go back.
Ali Abedzadeh, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, said the plane did not make any distress calls.
The Ukraine International Airlines plane, a Boeing 737 800-NG, crashed just minutes after takeoff from Imam Khomeini airport. The airline has defended the plane's maintenance, saying it was only delivered in 2016 and had been inspected just two days before the crash.
In a statement released Wednesday, the airline also pointed to the experience of the crew. Ukraine International Airlines said the pilots on the flight both had a minimum of 7,600 hours of flight experience on Boeing 737 planes.
The report, which cited eyewitnesses on the ground, said that Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 created a massive explosion when it crashed. That was likely due to the fuel on board for the journey combusting, it added.
The report is in line with video footage that was shared by the semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency on Wednesday, which appeared to show the plane on fire in the air before it hits the ground, filling the sky with flames.
The content of the video, which can be seen below, and its connection to this crash has not yet been verified.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was Ukraine's priority to find the cause of the crash, while Canada's Justin Trudeau vowed to said: "Our government will continue to work closely with its international partners to ensure that … [the crash] is thoroughly investigated, and that Canadians' questions are answered."
63 of the people on board were Canadian citizens, Ukraine's foreign minister said.
But their vows come as speculation mounts over the cause of the crash, and Iranian authorities walking back initial assertions that a technical fault was definitely to blame.
Speculation is rampant as to the cause of the crash, and the investigation might not be totally straightforward
Speculation has mounted as to what caused the crash, and the investigation is already showing signs of political friction.
Iranian authorities said in the hours after the crash that it had been caused by technical problems, dismissing the idea that it could have been caused by a terrorist or military attack.
But Abedzadeh later told the Iranian news outlet Mehr that there was no evidence of technical problems, according to reporting by The New York Times. This was contradicted again by the report.
A spokesperson for Iran's military said the crash was not caused by Iranian military action: "They are spreading propaganda that the Ukrainian flight was targeted. This is ridiculous. Most of the passengers on this flight were our valued young Iranian men and women."
Ukraine's embassy in Tehran initially dismissed the idea of terrorism or a rocket attack soon after the crash, blaming an engine failure instead. That statement was later deleted and replaced by one that said the cause is unknown and is being investigated.
According to Reuters, the embassy said the earlier statement was based on preliminary information but was not official, and that Iranian authorities had asked the embassy to remove it.
Suspicion over what might have caused the crash has been heightened due to the increased tensions in Iran after the US assassinated its top general and Iran subsequently attacked bases housing US troops in Iraq.
Iran attacked two Iraqi military bases that housed US and coalition forces with ballistic missiles hours before the crash on Wednesday, but there is currently no suggestion that the two incidents are linked.
Ukraine said on Thursday that its investigators want to search the crash site for possible missile debris from a Russian missile, Reuters reported.
Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the US' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told The New York Times that: "Investigators should put consideration of an attack."
Zelensky said on Facebook that "All possible versions of what occurred must be examined."
Iran, where the crash occurred, must mount an investigation under international law.
But such investigations also typically involve countries where many victims are from - in this case, Ukraine and Canada - as well as the plane's manufacturer.
In this case, political tensions between the US and Iran may prevent the NTSB, which often assists international investigations that involve Boeing, from getting involved.
It said on Wednesday that it is "monitoring the developments" and is working with US agencies to "determine the best course of action."
Boeing, one of the US's biggest companies, may struggle to get involved.
Abedzadeh said that Iran's Civil Aviation Organization would not give the plane's black boxes to the company. He said the initial findings had been sent to the US, alongside other countries.
Sahar Esfandiari contributed reporting to this story
- Read more about the crash:
Iran refuses to hand over the crashed Ukrainian Boeing 737's black box to the embattled manufacturer
Get the latest Boeing stock price here.
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- خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) January 8, 2020