Kiev: The Ukrainian International Airlines flight that crashed outside Tehran on Wednesday, killing over 170 people, was said to have developed a mechanical failure before crashing into a field, but the three-year-old Boeing 737 had been checked only two days before.
“The plane was manufactured in 2016. It was received by the airline directly from the (Boeing) factory. The plane underwent its last planned technical maintenance on January 6, 2020," Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) said in a statement.
It took off from Tehran airport at 6:10 a.m. and disappeared from radar just a few minutes later. There were no survivors among the crew and passengers, according to Ukraine's foreign ministry.
UIA president Yevgeniy Dykhne declined to comment on speculation linking the crash to Iran's missile strike on US forces in Iraq on Wednesday morning, advising reliance on official sources for information rather than social networks.
Representatives of UIA insisted the aircraft was fully functional under experienced pilots trained for emergencies at what he said was the "difficult" Tehran airport.
"The plane was in working order," said UIA president Yevgeniy Dykhne told a briefing in Kiev.
"It was one of our best planes with a wonderful crew," Dykhne said choking back tears.
The plane climbed to 2,400 m when it disappeared from radar, and "(chances) of a crew error are minimal, we simply are not considering them", said UIA vice-president Igor Sosnovsky.
"Considering their experience, it's difficult to say that there was something wrong with the crew," he said.
Preliminary statements by Iranian and Ukrainian authorities suggested a malfunction. Iran's English-language broadcaster Press TV cited the Imam Khomeini International Airport spokesman as saying the crash was caused by "technical difficulties".
A statement posted on the website of the Ukrainian embassy saying the crash was caused by an engine malfunction and ruling out an act of terror was later redacted, saying all information will be provided later by an official commission.
