Iran retrieves data, cockpit talk from downed Ukraine plane

 An Iranian official says some data, including a portion of cockpit conversations, have been retrieved from downed Ukrainian jetliner.

head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, Capt. Touraj Dehghani Zangeneh, made comment on Sunday. That’s according to a report on organization’s website, which described his remarks as part of final report that Tehran plans to issue on shootdown.

development comes months after Jan. 8 crash near Tehran. Authorities had initially denied responsibility, only changing course days later after Western nations presented extensive evidence that Iran had shot down plane.

shootdown happened same night Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. soldiers in Iraq, its response to American drone strike that killed Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3.

Zangene said plane’s black boxes have only 19 seconds of conversation following first explosion, though second missile reached plane 25 seconds later. report quoting him did t elaborate.

He said first missile explosion sent shrapnel into plane, likely disrupting plane’s recorders.