The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) received an invitation from Iran to participate in the investigation of the crash of the Boeing belonging to Ukraine International Airlines. The fact of the reception of the document is mentioned in the statement of the agency. It is clarified that the invitation was also sent to the Canadian side.
“In accordance with ICAO Appendix 13, the NTSB has allocated an accredited representative to investigate the disaster”, – the US organization said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that Iran will issue visas to Canadian experts to participate in the investigation of the crash.
Earlier, Tehran welcomed the participation in the investigation of the crash of the Ukrainian Boeing by representatives of countries whose citizens died in the plane crash.
The Boeing 737-800 of Ukraine’s International Airlines, flying from Tehran to Kiev, crashed on the night of January 8 shortly after departure from Imam Khomeini Airport. 176 people died: 167 passengers from Iran, Ukraine, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Afghanistan, as well as nine crew members.
A report by the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization says the plane caught fire before it collided with the ground. The media, citing sources in the Canadian security services, wrote that there is evidence indicating the overheating of one of the engines, which caused the fall. According to sources, Western intelligence agencies came to the conclusion that the plane was not shot down by a rocket.
At the same time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa owns “intelligence from several sources that indicate that the plane was shot down by an Iranian ground-to-air missile”. Soon, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the Ukrainian plane could have been unintentionally shot down by an Iranian rocket but noted that a full investigation should be conducted.