TEHRAN, Iran, Jan.10
Trend:
Head of Iran's Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Commission Hassan Rezaiefar has dismissed rumors that the crashed Ukrainian airplane in Iran, was hit by a missile, Trend reports via IRNA.
"The pilot of the aircraft was trying to return to the airport. The issue of the aircraft being hit by an air defense missile was investigated at a special meeting and was dismissed at the same meeting," he said.
"The country's defense plans are coordinated with the flight network and there has been no inconsistency," Rezaiefar said.
According to Iranian sources, a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane with 167 passengers (including Iranian and foreign citizens) and 9 crew members on board crashed Jan. 8, after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran due to technical issues.
The plane was heading for Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.
The plane took off at 06:12 (GMT+3:30), and at 06:18, it lost connection with the dispatcher center. The plane crashed at 6:22.
Iran's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is in charge of the investigation according to international aviation rules. A Ukrainian delegation has been reportedly working on site with the Iranian authorities.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday his government has intelligence indicating that an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane.
However, the Iranian authorities have repeatedly denied allegations or speculation that the crash of the Ukrainian flight was caused by an Iranian missile attack.