Iran says crash jet tried to turn back; Ukraine probes missile theory

[TEHERAN] The Boeing Co jet that crashed near Teheran on Wednesday tried to turn back after takeoff, Iran revealed in an initial report as Ukraine said it's examining scenarios including a missile strike and terrorism.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 disappeared from radar screens at 8,000 feet, and witnesses said they saw it on fire in the air, according to Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation. The flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders were damaged but their core memory appears to be accessible, the report said.

The findings are the first officially released from a probe fraught with difficulty amid heightened US-Iranian tensions. Ukraine added to confusion around the crash, saying it's looking at whether the jet was downed by a missile or bomb after Iran had insisted it fell victim to a technical failure or engine fire.

The scenarios are among several that might explain the disaster, National Security & Defence Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said on Facebook, pointing to supposed evidence of missile debris found near the crash site and circulated on the Internet. The head of Iran's accident-investigation office said no such parts were found and that any images are false.

Alternative possibilities put forward by Ukraine include a collision with a drone or other flying object, as well as destruction of an engine due to technical reasons, Mr Danilov said.

Iran has invoked an international agreement to get assistance from other countries involved in the tragedy, and Ukraine said its contingent includes experts who participated in a probe into Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, downed in 2014 by a surface-to-air missile during the conflict over Crimea and the eastern Donbas region.

American agencies including the National Transport Safety Board are weighing whether it's legal to engage with Iranian authorities under terms of sanctions against the country, according to people familiar with the matter. They're also concerned about sending people to Iran given recent military strikes.

The latest comments from Ukraine add to confusion about what led the Kyiv-bound 737-800 to plunge from the sky near Teheran minutes after taking off, killing all of the 176 people aboard.

A video purportedly shot by a bystander showed flames coming from the jet as it streaked across the night sky and burst into a fireball on impact. "The plane is on fire," an unidentified male can be heard saying. "In the name of God, God help, call the firefighters."

Iranian authorities initially blamed technical issues and then an engine fire. Ukraine International said it didn't "even consider" the possibility of crew error, and the Ukrainian embassy in Teheran ruled out terrorism before amending its statement to offer no comment on possible causes.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday called on parties not to "manipulate" the events, saying no conclusions can be drawn until experts have considered all of the evidence.

BLOOMBERG