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Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752

Coordinates: 35°39′35″N 51°03′33″E / 35.65972°N 51.05917°E / 35.65972; 51.05917
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Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752
Photograph showing wreckage of Flight 752, an engine prominent
Wreckage of Flight 752, with an engine turbine disc in the foreground
(Under Investigation)
Date8 January 2020 (2020-01-08)
SummaryCrashed shortly after takeoff, under investigation
SiteNear Shahriar, Tehran Province, Iran [1]
35°39′35″N 51°03′33″E / 35.65972°N 51.05917°E / 35.65972; 51.05917
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 737-8KV
OperatorUkraine International Airlines
IATA flight No.PS752
ICAO flight No.AUI752
Call signUKRAINE INTERNATIONAL 752
RegistrationUR-PSR
Flight originTehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran
DestinationBoryspil International Airport, Kiev
Passengers167
Crew9
Fatalities176 (all)[2]
Survivors0


Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Tehran to Kiev, operated by Ukraine International Airlines. On 8 January 2020, the airplane operating this route (a Boeing 737-800) crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.[3][4] A total of 176 passengers and crew were killed in the disaster, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in Iran in more than a decade. The crash surpassed Air India Express Flight 812 as the worst accident involving the Boeing 737 Next Generation and was the second deadliest involving the Boeing 737 series after Lion Air Flight 610. The crash was the first fatal aviation accident since the start of the operation of Ukraine International Airlines in 1992.[5]

Incident

Crash site is located in Iran
Crash site
Crash site
class=notpageimage|
Approximate location of the crash site

The flight was operated by Ukraine International Airlines, the flag carrier and the largest airline of Ukraine, on a scheduled flight from Iranian capital Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport to Boryspil International Airport in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Emergency officials confirmed that the plane was carrying 176 people on board of which 15 were children, and 9 crew members.[6]

Flight 752 was supposed to take off at 05:15 local time, however, it was delayed by approximately an hour. It took off from Tehran at 06:12 local time and was expected to land in Kiev at 08:00 local time.[7][2] Flight data from Flightradar24 shows no discrepancies in speed or altitude data from what a normal flight would display.[citation needed] The final ADS-B data received was at 06:14, less than 3 minutes after departure. According to the data, the last recorded altitude was at 2,415 m (7,925 ft) above mean sea level with a groundspeed of 275 knots (509 km/h).[8][failed verification] The airport itself is 3,305 ft above mean sea level, which would give an absolute altitude of 4,620 ft. The flight was climbing when the altitude record abruptly ended.[9][failed verification] A video circulated on social media purportedly shows the moment of the crash. The video suggested that the plane was on fire when it began to dive, with some of its parts breaking up in mid-air.[10] It then crashed near Parand and exploded. ISNA did not confirm the authenticity of the video, but it did state that the plane was burning prior to the crash, leading to speculation of a possible shoot down.[11][12]

Shortly after the crash, emergency responders arrived with 22 ambulances, four bus ambulances, and a helicopter, but heavy fires prevented a rescue attempt. The wreckage was strewn over a wide area, with no survivors found at the crash site centered about 35°33'40.0"N 51°06'14.0"E.[13] The plane was obliterated due to the impact.[14]

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the incident, UR-PSR, photographed in October 2019

The aircraft was a Boeing 737-8KV, msn 38124. It was 3 years 7 months old at the time of the crash. The aircraft had first flown on 21 June 2016.[1] It was delivered to the airline on 19 July 2016 and it was the first owned aircraft for the airline.[15]

Passengers and crew

According to the spokesperson of Iran’s aviation organization, the exact number of people on board was 167 passengers and nine crew members. State news media had initially reported that the plane was carrying 180 people. Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) stated that most of the passengers were Iranians, however, some foreign nationals were also on the flight.[12] Officials confirmed that at least 130 people on board were Iranian,[16] most of whom were students going back to European countries and Canada via Ukraine, after the winter holiday.[17]

Ukrainian Kiev-based media outlet Obozrevatel reported that, of the 167 passengers, 82 were confirmed to be Iranians, 63 were Canadians, 3 were British, 6 were Afghans, 8 were Swedish and 4 were Germans. 15 Ukrainians were also reported to be onboard.[5] The discrepancy is because many were dual nationals, and Iran only recognizes dual-nationals as Iranian citizens. The Ukrainian Security Council confirmed that 11 Ukrainians, including the 9 crew members,[18] were killed in the crash.[19][20]

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the manifest of the passengers and crew of the flight as follows: 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, 4 Afghans, 3 Germans and 3 Britons.[18]

Casualties of Flight 752[19]
Nationality Passengers Crew Total
Iran Iranian 82 0 82
Canada Canadian 63 0 63
Ukraine Ukrainian 2 9 11
Sweden Swedish 10 0 10
Afghanistan Afghan 4 0 4
Germany German 3 0 3
United Kingdom British 3 0 3
Total 167 9 176

Aftermath

Reactions

The disaster occurred amid a heightened political crisis between the United States and Iran in the Persian Gulf, happening just hours after the Iranian military launched 15 rockets aimed towards U.S military airbases in Iraq in response to the Baghdad International Airport airstrike by the US on 3 January, killing top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. In the early hours after the incident, Iranian Twitter accounts wrote without providing evidence that the aircraft was erroneously shot down by the Iranian military. Al-Hadath, a Dubai-based news channel, also wrote that anti-aircraft missiles had shot down the aircraft.[21] The ISNA and other Iranian state news agencies, however, reported that the plane was facing technical difficulties.[22] In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that there should not be any speculation about the cause of the crash.[18]

Ukraine International Airlines said that flights to Tehran have been suspended indefinitely shortly after the accident, with flights after the day of the crash no longer being available.[5] The airline said that the plane had been inspected days before the accident and that no defects had been found.[18]

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims.[23] Officials stated that he would cut his visit in Oman short due to the disaster.[18] President Zelensky later added that several planes had been prepared in Kiev to travel to Tehran to transport the dead.[18]

The British Foreign Office said that they are deeply saddened by the loss of life and are urgently seeking confirmation about how many British nationals were on board.[5] Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement stating that they are deeply saddened and expressed their condolences to the families who lost their lives, as well as to the "Governments and friendly peoples of Ukraine and Iran".[24]

Several airlines reacted to the crash by re-routing flights that overflew Iran, or cancelling flights to Iran. Singapore Airlines and Qantas re-routed its flights to avoid Iranian airspace. Air Astana and SCAT Airlines were reported to be considering re-routing flights. Air France, Flydubai, KLM,[25] Lufthansa,[26] and Ukraine International Airlines cancelled flights to Iran.[27] Qatar Airways stated that its flights would operate as scheduled, but that the situation would be monitored.[26] The United States Federal Aviation Administration banned all American civil aircraft from overflying Iran, Iraq, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.[28]

Investigation

Iran Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh said on 8 January 2020 that a team of investigators had been sent to the crash site.[12] The head of the commission for accidents in the Iran Civil Aviation Organization said that they received no emergency message from the aircraft before the crash.[29] It was reported that the aircraft's black boxes (the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder) had been recovered, but the ICAO had refused to hand the devices over to Boeing. Spokesman Ali Abedzadeh said it was not clear to which country the box would be sent so that its data could be analyzed.[26] Under standard International Civil Aviation Organisation rules, America's National Transportation Safety Board would participate in the investigation, as they represented the state of the manufacturer of the aircraft. France's Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile would participate as representatives of the state of manufacture of the aircraft's engines and Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure would participate as representatives of the state the aircraft was registered in. Given the current tensions in Iran, it is not known how these organizations would be involved, although it was reported that Iran had stated that American, French and Ukrainian authorities would be involved.[27]

On 8 January 2020, the Ukrainian government said that it will send experts to Tehran to assist with the investigation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the Ukrainian General Prosecutor to open a criminal investigation into the crash.[18] The Ukrainian Embassy in Iran said that preliminary details pointed to engine failure; it also issued a statement ruling out terrorism, but quickly removed the statement.[30] Later the same day, the Ukrainian Embassy in Iran said that anything was possible and refused to rule out that the plane was struck by a missile.[31]

Iran's Road and Transportation Ministry said on 8 January 2020 that the aircraft burst into flames after a fire started in one of its engines, causing the pilot to lose control and crash into the ground.[32][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "UR-PSR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Ukrainian Boeing plane crashes in Iran, 176 people dead". CNN. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Ukrainian airplane with 180 aboard crashes in Iran: Fars". Reuters. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Ukrainian airliner crashes near Tehran: Iranian media". Al Jazeera. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d "Iran plane crash: All 176 passengers killed as Ukraine Boeing 737 crashes near Tehran". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Ukrainian airplane with over 170 aboard crashes in Iran; no survivors". Mehr News. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  7. ^ Safi, Michael. "Iran plane crash: Ukraine Boeing with more than 160 onboard comes down near Tehran". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Boeing 737 Bound for Ukraine Crashes in Iran; No Survivors". Retrieved 8 January 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map". Flightradar24.
  10. ^ "Ukrainian airplane crashes near Tehran's Imam Khomeini Int'l Airport". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Ukraine International Airlines plane crashes in Tehran shortly after takeoff". CNN. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  12. ^ a b c "Ukrainian airplane crashes near Tehran's Imam Khomeini Int'l Airport". Iranian Students News Agency. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Don Thompson on Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  14. ^ "All 170 On Board Ukrainian Plane That Crashed In Iran Killed: Report". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  15. ^ "UR-PSR Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  16. ^ "130 out of 167 passengers of crashed Ukrainian airplane are Iranian, citizens". Trend News Agency. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Iran state TV says Ukrainian airplane crashes near Tehran". WBAL. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h "Live Updates: Boeing 737 with 167 Passengers Aboard Crashes After Take-Off from Tehran Airport©". Sputnik News. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Three Brits feared dead after Ukrainian Airlines plane crash kills 176". LBC News. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Ukrainian airplane with over 170 aboard crashes in Iran; no survivors". Mehr News Agency. 8 January 2020.
  21. ^ "#إيران — أنباء عن سقوط الطائرة الأوكرانية نتيجة إصابتها بصاروخ إيراني عن طريق الخطأ". 7 January 2020.
  22. ^ CNN, Artemis Moshtaghian and Joshua Berlinger. "Ukrainian Airlines plane crashes in Tehran shortly after takeoff". CNN. Retrieved 8 January 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  23. ^ "All on board Ukrainian plane in Tehran crash dead". Arab News. 8 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Press Release Regarding the Ukrainian International Airlines Passenger Airplane Accident in Tehran". Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  25. ^ Pieters, Janene. "KLM stops flying over Iran and Iraq". Netherlands Times. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  26. ^ a b c Patel-Carstairs, Sunita; Storr, Kat. "Three Britons among 176 killed as plane crashes after takeoff in Tehran". Sky News. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Iran plane crash: Ukraine International Airline jet crashes killing 176". BBC News Online. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  28. ^ Kaminski-Morrow, Davin. "US bans Iranian and Iraqi overflights citing risk to aircraft". Flight Global. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  29. ^ "جزئیات تماس خلبان بوئینگ 737‌ اوکراینی با برج مهرآباد تا پیش از سقوط‌". Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  30. ^ Khurshudyan, Isabelle; Cunningham, Erin (8 January 2020). "Ukrainian passenger plane with more than 170 onboard crashes in Iran, no survivors". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  31. ^ Davies, Gareth; White, Josh (8 January 2020). "Iran plane crash: Ukraine refuses to rule out Boeing 737 was shot down by missile near Tehran killing 176". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  32. ^ "176 people killed in Boeing 737 crash in Iran, state TV reports". ABC News. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
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