A group of aviation experts is speculating a deadly Ukrainian plane crash in Iran was the result of “shootdown event,” the Independent newspaper is reporting.
The crash of Ukrainian International Airlines’ jet, shortly after take-off on Wednesday from the airport in Tehran, killed 176 people.
The OPS group, described by the Independent as an aviation risk monitoring group, said: “We would recommend the starting assumption to be that this was a shootdown event… --until there is clear evidence to the contrary.”
The group cited “obvious projectile holes in the fuselage and wing section.”
“Whether that projectile was an engine part, or a missile fragment is still conjecture, but in making a decision as to whether to operate to Iran, erring on the side of caution would dictate that you do not, until there is clear information as to the cause.,” it said.
Other experts, however, declined to speculate on the cause of the crash, the Independent reported.
And The New York Times said it was “unclear” what caused the crash. The newspaper said the Iranian Students’ New Agency, a state-run media organization, posted a video showing an aircraft, apparently in flames, descending. A bright burst was seen upon impact.
An official at the Iranian Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, told the Islamic Republic News Agency, the government’s official news agency, that the pilot was not able to control the plane after an engine caught fire.
USA Today reported the plane’s flight data recorder, which stores cockpit conversations, and other date, has been recovered.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.