A Ukrainian airliner that crashed near Tehran was on fire and tried to turn around before crashing, Iranian investigators have said in a preliminary report. Iran has invited all relevant parties to participate in the probe.
Eyewitnesses observed a fire on the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 while it was still airborne, Iran’s civil aviation organization noted. The aircraft attempted to return to Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport before crashing, killing all 176 people on board, the organization said. The Iranian investigators confirmed that no distress calls or messages were received from the pilot before the plane hit the ground.
Ali Abedzadeh, who leads the civil aviation organization, stated that all relevant countries have been invited to send representatives to help carry out the ongoing investigation into what caused Wednesday’s crash.