Iran continues to hide evidences on PS752 flight hit by Iranian air-defense missiles. Ukraine released intercepted communications between Tehran Airport tower and second pilot of Iran’s Aseman Airlines flight at the time of the crash of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752. The Iranian civilian plane’s pilot saw both the missile launch and the blast.
The record proves that the Iranians saw the missile from the moment it was launched and to the very moment it hit the Ukrainian plane.
The Ukraine Airlines flight PS752 took off from Tehran Airport at 6:20 on January 8, 2020. At the same time, the Iranian flight Shiraz-Tehran, EP3768, operated by Aseman Airlines was preparing to land in Tehran. In about three minutes, an Iranian pilot saw a missile being launched.
The following is a complete transcript of intercepted communications between Tehran tower and flight 3768 (including a bit between tower and PS752):
The recording time is 05:12
Tower: – Good morning, Ukraine International Airlines 752 (inaudible), departure identified alt 260, climb to 6000 feet, turn right to Paroch.
Tower: – After 6000 feet to Paroch.
Pilot EP3768: – We are approaching from the north, 3768.
Tower: – Good morning, 3768.
Tower: – Aseman 3768 (inaudible), identify 3343 left, level 110.
Pilot EP3768: – Flight 3768, come in.
Pilot EP3768: – We are approaching from the north, 3768.
Pilot EP3768: – No, sir?
Pilot EP3768: – Zone 320, active for passage?
Tower: – GPS (inaudible).
Pilot EP3768: – Flares on route, as if from a missile. Should anything like this be happening there?
Tower: – Zone 320? How many miles away? Where?
EP3768 Pilot: – Can’t say for sure. But I think it is near (air field) Payam, (city) Karaj.
Tower: – How many miles? Where?
Pilot EP3768: – I now see the light as it flies off of there.
Tower: – We were not informed of this.
Tower: – How does it look like? What does this light look like?
Pilot EP3768: – That surely is the light from a missile.
Tower: – It’s not flying toward the city (Tehran), is it?
Pilot EP3768: – It might be… Oh, no it was flying from the direction of the city.
Tower: – We were informed nothing, but keep watching.
Pilot EP3768: – Okay. I’m getting on the landing course.
Tower: – “Ukraine International Airlines” 752, do you read?
Tower: – “Ukraine International Airlines” 752, do you read?
Tower: – “Ukraine International Airlines” 752, do you read?! (message repeated several times from 02:27 to 04:25, unanswered)
Tower: – “Aseman” 3768, 9000 (inaudible), landing course.
Tower: – “Aseman” 3768, everything, you see nothing else up there?
Pilot EP3768: – Mr engineer, we saw an explosion, a big flare from the explosion, we don’t understand what it is.
Tower: – We don’t know for sure…
Pilot EP3768: – Is our course OK?
Tower: – Yes, I don’t think there will be any problem for you.
Pilot EP3768: – God forbid!”
From the outset, the Iranians said that it was a technical issue that caused the crash. However, on the evening of January 9, several lU.S. editions and TV channels reported that the Boeing 737-800 operated by Ukraine International Airlines had been mistakenly shot down by Iran shortly after taking off from Tehran Airport.
Photos and video footage showing missiles that could have downed the plane, as well as video of the moment of the crash, were shared on social media and made it to global news. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, citing intelligence and allies, said the plane was hit by an Iranian ground-to-air missile.
On the morning of January 11, Iran officially acknowledged that the Ukrainian passenger jet was downed by a missile. The official statement said that the tragedy had happened as a result of a “human error”. The civilian plane was mistaken for a hostile object after it turned toward a military facility operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the tragedy “an unforgivable mistake” and said the country would continue to investigate the incident.
Despite of Tehran’s promises of cooperation with an investigation, there were concerns the crash site had been disturbed.
But on January 14th BBC reported Iran says it has arrested the person who filmed the footage showing a Ukrainian passenger plane being shot down by a missile. So after three days of Rouhani promises, Iranian authorities still tried to hide all evidences and witnesses of plane downing.
January 25th, report leaked by air traffic controllers in Iran that the pilot of the Ukrainian airliner contacted them after being hit with 1st missile, requesting emergency landing. They didn’t cooperate with him as he desperately pleaded for 30 seconds until the second missile hit. #PS752
But the source didn’t release the audio of radio conversations between the tower and PS752.
After Ukrainian TV channel released audio file, the director in charge of accident investigations at Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization Hassan Rezaeifar said, that Iran is no longer sharing evidence from the investigation into the Ukraine airliner crash with Ukraine.
Iran’s decision may be aimed at hiding other information that demonstrates that Tehran initially knew about the destruction of the aircraft and misinformed the international community.
So, the content of interception gives us:
- The tower didn’t try to connect with PS752 immediately after the first report on missile launch.
- The tower and Iranian air-defense didn’t coordinated with each other.
- After the first missile hit PS752 the aircraft’s transponder still worked. So black boxes of PS 752 have important information about Iranians prior to crash behavior.
- Iran’s authorities knew about missile hit after EP3768 report and lost PS752 with radars.
- Tehran insisted on technical problems, while there were evidences about missile hitting.
- After interception leaking Tehran tries to misinform the world community again by ending the cooperation with plane owner (Ukraine).
