by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:30 AM ET, Wed January 8, 2020
Update: January 10, 2020 at 8:40 a.m. ET
The New York Times has reportedly obtained footage of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 being hit by a missile shortly after takeoff from an Iranian airport.
United States intelligence officers picked up signals of the radar being turned on and satellites detected infrared blips of two missile launches, followed by another infrared blip of an explosion.
Despite the evidence to the contrary, Iranian leaders denied Friday that their country's missiles shot down the plane carrying 176 people, all of which died in the crash. Intelligence sources told the New York Times that Iran mistakenly fired on the Ukraine flight with a Russian-supplied anti-aircraft missile.
Update: January 9, 2020 at 12:45 p.m. ET
Just a day after Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 crashed in Iran due to what authorities initially called an "engine issue," officials from the United States believe the aircraft was actually shot down by Iranian military forces.
According to CBSNews.com, U.S. intelligence detected two surface-to-air missile launches moments before the plane crashed just six miles from the Tehran airport, killing all 176 people on board. A source said it appears missile components were found near the crash site.
This is a developing story.
A Boeing 737 carrying 176 people reportedly suffered engine failure shortly after take-off from Iran Wednesday, killing everyone on board.
According to Reuters.com, the Ukraine International Airlines flight had departed from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport en route to Kyiv when it reportedly suffered an engine issue that caused the aircraft to crash six miles from the facility.
Ukraine's embassy in Iran reported the initial data suggests the crash was not terrorism-related, but the airline is working with Boeing officials and authorities from Ukraine and Iran to determine the cause of the deadly incident.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that all 167 passengers and nine crew members on board at the time of the crash died, saying, "My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of all passengers and crew."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko revealed the nationalities of the passengers, saying there were 82 travelers from Iran, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, three Germans and three Britons.
Local media outlets reported the pilot did not declare an emergency before the crash, but the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder had been found in the wreckage. Photos from the scene show search and rescue teams with face masks retrieving the bodies of victims.
The plane involved in Ukraine International Airlines' first fatal crash was a three-year-old Boeing 737-800NG, which has a stellar safety record and does not feature the same software implicated in two fatal 737 MAX crashes.
A Boeing spokesman said the company was gathering more information.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
