Tehran plane crash kills 63 Canadians soon after missiles hit U.S. bases — Iran won't hand over black boxes
A Boeing Co. 737-800 jetliner bound for Ukraine that crashed after takeoff in Iran, killing everyone on board including 63 Canadians, was most likely brought down by an engine fire, according to Tehran authorities.
Ukraine International Airlines said 167 passengers and nine crew were on the plane, an older version of the 737 that predates Boeing’s grounded Max model, which crashed at 6:18 a.m. Wednesday in Sabashahr, near the Iranian capital.
Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs, Vadym Prystaiko, said that as well as the Canadians there were 82 Iranians and 11 Ukrainians on board. Ukraine International Airlines officials say most of the passengers were transiting through Kyiv to other destinations.
Iran’s Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization said early assessments indicate the cause was a technical issue; the transport ministry suggested an engine fire was to blame.
Other authorities, however, didn’t follow Iran in pointing to a fire or technical issue. The Ukrainian embassy in Tehran amended an earlier statement in which it had ruled out terrorism, instead making no comment on possible causes.
