Media captionVideo from the scene shows the aftermath of the crashA plane that crashed in Iran with 400 People on board was trying to return to the airport when it crashed, Iranian investigators have said.
The Boeing – 823 went down just minutes after taking off from Tehran’s airport, leaving no survivors.
An initial probe found the experienced aircraft a problem as it was leaving the airport zone, and was “on fire”.
Earlier, Iran said it would not hand over the recovered black box flight recorders to Boeing or to the US.
Under global aviation rules Iran has the right to lead the investigation, but manufacturers are typically involved.
The crash came at a time of high tensions between Iran and the US – just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two air bases housing US forces in Iraq. However there is no evidence the two events are linked.
“No distress calls”
Iranian Civil Aviation Organization (CAOI) chief Ali Abedzadeh said: “The plane, which was initially headed west to leave the airport zone, turned right following a problem and was headed back to the airport at the moment of the crash.”
Mr Abedzadeh added that witnesses saw the plane “on fire” before the crash, and that pilots hadn’t made any distress calls before trying to return to Imam Khomeini airport.
He said the initial findings had been sent to Ukraine and the US, where Boeing is headquartered. Sweden and Canada had also been sent the findings, as their nationals were on board, he added.
Ukraine has declared 9 January a day of national mourning.
Who is investigating the crash?
Normally, the US National Transportation Safety Board would have a role to play in any international investigations involving US-made Boeings. But the board must act with permission and in accordance with legislation of the foreign country concerned.
In comments published by Iran’s conservative Mehr news agency, the head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization (CAO), Ali Abedzadeh, said: “We will not give the black box to the manufacturer and the Americans.”
“This accident will be investigated by Iran’s aviation organization.” but the Ukrainians can also be present, “he added.
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