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“U.S. intelligence picked up signals of a radar being turned on, sources told CBS News. U.S. satellites also detected two surface-to-air missile launches, which happened shortly before the plane exploded.”
From CNN:
“The US increasingly believes that Iran mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian airliner on Tuesday, according to multiple US officials. The working theory is based on continuing analysis of data from satellites, radar and electronic data collected routinely by US military and intelligence.
The flight was downed following Iranian strikes on US forces in Iraq.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization head, Ali Abedzadeh, said it would not hand the flight data recorders to Boeing or the United States after they were found on Wednesday.”
From New York Times: New video of possible missile striking the doomed airliner.
“The initial assessment of Western intelligence agencies is that a Ukrainian airliner which crashed in Iran on Wednesday was not brought down by a missile, said a Canadian security source.
The source, who declined to be identified, said the agencies believed the Boeing (BA.N) 737 plane had suffered a technical malfunction. The Ukraine International Airline jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.”
“A Ukrainian airliner was on fire immediately before it crashed southwest of Tehran, killing all 176 on board, according to an initial report by Iranian investigators.”
Ukraine International Airlines issued this second statement:
The day of January 8, 2020, is marked with black for the time being.
Despite the airline’s employees have repeatedly undergone special training, we could never grow emotionally and psychologically strong enough to face up to such a tragedy.
Today, all our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers and crew of PS752 Tehran – Kyiv flight.
We express profound sympathy to the families and friends of the victims. We share your pain, we mourn together with you, and we remember everyone whose life was taken away in the sky of Iran.
We’ll make every effort to find out the cause of the tragedy and the families of the passengers and crew get all the help and support they need.
The airline has also suspended flights to and from Tehran:
Due to the situation in the region, UIA announces the suspension of its scheduled flights between Kyiv and Tehran, effective 08 January, 2020, until further notice.
The decision made by the management of the UIA and confirmed as a prohibition issued by State Aviation Administration of Ukraine for flights in Iran’s airspace for all Ukrainian registration aircraft.
Passengers will be rerouted, where possible, or offered a refund for unused flights. Passengers are advised to contact the place of ticket purchase.
Information on the crew:
With due allowance for the complexity and duration of the flight, the UR-PSR aircraft’s crew was augmented.
Flight crew comprised three pilots:
Captain Volodymyr Gaponenko (11600 hours on Boeing 737aircraft including 5500 hours as captain);
Instructor pilot Oleksiy Naumkin (12000 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft including 6600 hours as captain);
First officer Serhii Khomenko (7600 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft).
“Tehran airport is anything but a simple one. Therefore, for several years UIA has been using this airport to conduct training on Boeing 737 aircraft aimed at evaluating pilots’ proficiency and ability to act in emergency cases, – noted Ihor Sosnovsky, UIA Vice President Operations. – According to our records, the aircraft ascended as high as 2400 meters. Given the crew’s experience, error probability is minimal. We do not even consider such a chance.”
Cabin crew comprised six flight attendants:
Ihor Matkov, chief flight attendant;
Kateryna Statnik;
Mariia Mykytiuk;
Valeriia Ovcharuk;
Yuliia Solohub;
Denys Lykhno.
UIA condoles deeply to families and friends of the passengers and the crew.
Ukraine International Airlines-UIA flight PS 752 from Tehran (Khomeini) to Kiev with Boeing 737-800 (UR-PSR, above) crashed on takeoff today. All on board are feared to be dead.
The airline issued this statement (translated):
Today, on January 8, 2020, the aircraft of Ukraine International Airlines, while operating PS752 flight Tehran – Kiev, disappeared from the radar, a few minutes after departure from Tehran International Airport.
The aircraft departed Tehran Airport at 06:10 local Iran time.
According to preliminary data, there were 167 passengers and 9 crew members on board. Airlines are currently finding out the exact number of passengers on board.
Passenger lists will be posted on the airline’s website after final confirmation of their stay on board the aircraft.
The airline expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the plane crash and will do everything possible to support the relatives and loved ones of the victims. As of today, UIA has decided to suspend its own flights to Tehran indefinitely.
As of 09:30, UIA has been working closely with the aviation authorities to find out the causes of the aviation incident. In parallel, the airline contacts the relatives of the passengers, providing all possible assistance in the current situation.
The flight was performed on a Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, registration number UR-PSR. The aircraft of 2016 production was received directly by the airline from the plant of the concern. The last scheduled maintenance of the aircraft was January 06, 2020.
A thorough investigation will be conducted with the involvement of the aviation authorities of Ukraine, Iran, representatives of the Boeing manufacturer, the airline, as well as the National Bureau of Investigation of Civil Aviation and Incidents with Civilian Aircraft in Ukraine (NBRCA). The airline will inform you of the investigation and the causes of the tragic event as soon as they are identified.
Press Service of Ukraine International Airlines
Top Copyright Photo: Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-8KV WL UR-PSR (msn 38124) LGW (Keith Burton). Image: 948733.
On December 27 2019, a Fokker 100 (UP-F1007, msn 11496) (above) operated by Bek Air as flight Z9 2100, heading to Nur-Sultan, crashed shortly after takeoff from Almaty International Airport at 7:21 am, killing at least twelve of 93 passengers and five crew members o board.
The aircraft was unable to climb and crashed into a concrete wall and a building.
Ethiopian Airlines Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) ET-AQC operating flight ET 357 from Juba to Addis Ababa on December 10 with 21 passengers and crew members on board overran the runway on takeoff at Juba.
There are no injuries but the aircraft is damaged.
Busy Bee Congo Dornier 228-200, registration 9S-GNH, operating a flight from Goma to Beni in the Republic of Congo on November 24, 2019 with 17 passengers, crashed on takeoff from Goma. The aircraft impacted the ground in a populated area.
Two de Havilland Canada float planes flying cruise passengers on sightseeing trips to Misty Fjords National Monument collided Monday near Ketchikan, AK.
Mountain Air Service Randy Sullivan (below) died in the crash along with five passengers. The 6 that died were on the Mountain Air Service DHC-2 Beaver.
10 people were injured and treated on the other aircraft, a Taquan Air DHC-3 Otter which carried 11 people.
Taquan Air issued this statement:
The Taquan family is devastated by Monday’s events and we are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from our neighbors and friends from around the world. We are grieving the loss of life suffered in this tragic incident and our hearts go out to the passengers, pilots and families of both flights.
We are so grateful to the Coast Guard, first responder’s, the FAA, and NTSB for their tireless efforts. We would also like to thank the community of Ketchikan and our tour partners across the state for their support.
On Monday, May 13, 2019, at 12:26 p.m. local time, a de Havilland Otter operated by Taquan Air was involved in an accident approximately eight (8) nautical miles from Ketchikan, AK. The flight was returning from a Misty Fjords tour and carried ten guests and the pilot. A second float plane was also involved in an incident.
The U.S. Coast Guard and local search and rescue teams have confirmed that nine (9) of the guests and the pilot on the Taquan Air plane have been rescued and are receiving medical attention with the condition of one (1) guest still unknown.
We are devastated by this news and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families. At this time, we are in the midst of an active crisis response, and our focus is on assisting these passengers, the pilot, our staff, their families and loved ones, and first responders.
Taquan Air has suspended all scheduled flights and is cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other authorities to examine every aspect of this event.
In addition to the NTSB, FAA, and U.S. Coast Guard, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders, and the entire Ketchikan community for their support in the rescue effort.
