Published 18:08 IST, January 10th 2020
Amid claims it downed Ukraine airliner, Iran says its black box may have 'technical fault'
Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority head, Ali Abedzadeh, said that Iran may need help to decode the black box on the Ukrainian airliner because it is damaged.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority head, Ali Abedzadeh, said that Iran may need help to decode the black box on the Ukrainian airliner PS752 because the black box of the crashed plane may have a technical fault. Abedzadeh said that the black box of the Ukrainian flight 737 is damaged. He added that Ukrainian Aviation experts arrived in Tehran on Thursday and a brief session was conducted. According to international reports, the Iranian official also said that they will start decoding the data on January 10. He further added that in case the available equipment is not enough to get the content, Tehran will outsource the boxes to 'France or Canada' and the result will be publicised to the world.
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) flight PS752 crashed within minutes after takeoff from Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran on January 8 killing all 176 passengers and crew members aboard the plane. The reason for the crash involving a Boeing 737-800 is under investigation. Iran's civil aviation authority claimed that the flight's crash is due to technical issues but the crash took place just after Iran launched missiles at US bases in Iraq.
Iran denies sending black boxes to Iran
Abedzadeh stated that if the available equipment is not enough to get the data then Iran will outsource the black boxes “the experts from France or Canada.” He said after proper speculation, the outcome will be published and publicized to the world.
Iran has earlier denied sending its black boxes to the US-based manufacturer, Boeing amid the growing tensions. But Iran’s aviation agency said it was conducting its investigation under international law and that it has “provided all relevant countries with the necessary information since the accident.”
Canadian PM suspects missile attacks
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that evidence suggested an Iranian missile brought down the aircraft by accident. He claimed that they have intelligence from various sources including their allies and intelligence. He added that the evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile. But the government in Tehran has ruled out a missile strike by its air defences.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Iran claimed the flight suffered a technical glitch shortly after take-off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport. According to the reports, no radio distress call was made by the pilot. Abedzadeh added that witnesses saw the plane was on fire before the crash. He said several domestic and foreign flights were flying in Iranian space at the same altitude of 8,000ft (2,400m). He added that the issue of the missile's impact on the aircraft cannot be true.
Updated 18:08 IST, January 10th 2020