Ukrainian Plane with 176 People on Board Crashes After Taking Off from Tehran. Timeline of Events

All those on board were killed.

A Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran Airport. It was flying to Boryspil Airport.

There were 176 people on board, including passengers and crew. All of them were killed.

Among those on board were 11 Ukrainian citizens: 2 passengers and 9 crew members. The other passengers were citizens of Iran (82), Canada (63), Sweden (10), Afghanistan (4), Germany (3) and the United Kingdom (3).

According to FlightRadar24, the plane took off from the airport at 4:38 a.m. Kyiv time (6:38 a.m. Tehran time), climbed to an altitude of 2.5 km and disappeared from radar six minutes into the flight.

The Boeing 737-800 was new, having left the factory 3.6 years ago. UIA was the first operator of this aircraft, registration number UP-PSR.

According to official information provided by the Ukrainian Embassy in Iran, the cause of the crash was an engine fire. The embassy website also initially stated that no missile or terrorist attack was responsible for the tragedy, but later deleted this information. It now says that the cause is being determined by a commission, and that until its conclusion any statements about the causes are not official.

This is the first plane crash in UIA's history.

Timeline of Events

8:22 p.m. We have gathered all the important and confirmed information in one article. This live text broadcast is now over. Thank you for being with us.

7:29 p.m. Residents of the Parkove Misto residential complex, where flight captain Oleksiy Naumkin lived, are collecting funds to help his family.

6:50 p.m. Friends and relatives of the victims continue to arrive at Boryspil Airport. UIA management is also there.

4:27 p.m. Volodymyr Zelensky said that a plane carrying Ukrainian experts will fly to Iran this evening. Among them are representatives of the State Emergency Service, the Defence Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the SBU, the NSDC, the State Aviation Service, the National Bureau for Investigation of Civil Aviation Accidents and Incidents, and UIA.

They will take part in the investigation, identification of bodies and registration of the victims.

4:26 p.m. The British publication The Independent reports that the flight from Tehran to Boryspil departed late. The plane was supposed to take off at 5:15 a.m. but took off at 6:12 a.m.

3:35 p.m. Iran will independently decode the black box data — ISNA. “The black boxes will be decoded at Iran’s authoritative state laboratory. Thus, Iranian laws set the rules for where and how they must be decoded,” said Hassan Rezaeifar, head of the emergency response department of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran.

3:30 p.m. “I express my condolences to the people of Iran and to the families of the victims, and I pray to Almighty God for the dead and for mercy for the survivors,” said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Rouhani also said that the responsible authorities must work to identify the victims and provide the injured with the necessary legal assistance.

3:09 p.m. “Today our prayers are for those killed in the terrible air crash near Tehran. May God give rest to their souls in His houses. Unfortunately, everyone on board the plane died. Among them were citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Afghanistan and Germany. Sincere condolences to all the relatives and loved ones of the passengers and crew. May God help them bear the weight of their loss. Eternal memory to the dead!” — Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

3:07 p.m. “In a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, I expressed condolences to the people of Ukraine and to the relatives of the victims of flight PS752. We both concluded that an independent and transparent investigation of this tragic accident must be carried out,” said Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs.

3:03 p.m. Sharif University of Technology in Tehran confirmed the deaths of at least 13 of its students and graduates: “We express our condolences to the Iranian people and to the families of the dead in connection with the loss of our compatriots and students of Sharif University in the deeply tragic event, the crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane.” The message with the names of the victims was published on the university’s website.

3:02 p.m. Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said he had spoken by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif: “We agreed to coordinate the further actions of our investigative teams in order to investigate the cause of the terrible air crash of PS752.”

3:01 p.m. “My condolences to everyone who lost loved ones in the crash of the Ukrainian plane this morning. Aviation safety specialists are investigating the causes of the crash in order to explain the causes of this terrible tragedy,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

3:00 p.m. Ukrainian political analyst Andriy Buzarov told Radio Svoboda that he could have been among the passengers of flight PS752: “At first I planned to fly on the 8th, since the conference ended on the 7th. But I decided to book tickets for a later date; UIA staff advised me to take the 9th because the tickets were cheaper.”

2:58 p.m. UIA asked the relatives and loved ones of passengers of flight PS752 Tehran–Kyiv to call as soon as possible: 0 800 601 527 (from Ukraine), +38 044 581 50 19 (from abroad)

2:56 p.m. UIA changed the website design to black and white mourning colours.

2:55 p.m. “I express my deepest condolences to the friends and families of all those who died this morning in the tragic air crash of the UIA plane near Tehran. We are in contact with the Iranian and Ukrainian governments to obtain information as quickly as possible about the presence of British citizens on board,” said British Minister for Europe Christopher Pincher.

2:50 p.m. “The tragic accident of flight PS752 Tehran–Kyiv fills us with deep sorrow. In this difficult time we stand with the victims’ relatives, to whom we offer our sincere condolences,” said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

2:45 p.m. According to UIA passenger lists, 26 children and teenagers under the age of 18 are among the victims. The youngest passenger was born in 2018, and the oldest in 1945.

2:40 p.m. Photos from The New York Times:

2:15 p.m. UIA has cancelled all regular flights between Kyiv and Tehran from January 8 until further notice. The decision was caused by a ban from the State Aviation Service of Ukraine. Passengers will be offered an alternative route or a refund.

2:00 p.m. Official comment from Boeing: “This is a tragic event, and our sincere thoughts are with the crew, passengers and their families. We are in contact with our customers, the airlines, and are supporting them during this difficult time. We stand ready to provide any necessary assistance.”

1:45 p.m. Iran does not intend to hand over the Boeing black box — Reuters, citing the head of the Civil Aviation Organization of Tehran. It is not yet known to which country the box will be sent for analysis.

1:40 p.m. As of 1:40 p.m., according to Flightradar, planes continue to fly over Iran.

1:11 p.m. Wizz Air announced a major New Year ticket sale, offering 20% discounts on all destinations. Push notifications about the promotion are reaching Ukrainian users. The press release says: “the celebration is not over yet”.

12:50 p.m. Someone laid a bouquet of carnations at the Iranian Embassy.

12:28 p.m. Lawyer Andriy Gak commented on the crash:

1. Iran, as a member of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and the state on whose territory the crash occurred, is obliged to organise an investigation, which will include representatives of UIA, Boeing, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, the National Bureau for Investigation of Aviation Accidents and Incidents, and other experts.
2. Ukraine has already announced the creation of a commission, but there is no such information on the Iranian organisation’s website yet. The goal of the investigation should be to establish the causes and develop recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future. Criminal investigations will determine whether a crime was committed and who is responsible.
3. According to the results of ICAO’s last audit in 2018, Iran’s level of compliance in investigating incidents is 84.44% — above the world average and above Ukraine’s figure.
4. Until the causes of the crash are established, the carrier, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine and other countries may impose flight restrictions to Iran.

12:25 p.m. Two people did not board the plane; they are not citizens of Ukraine, and their names are known — Danilov (NSDC).

12:23 p.m. Honcharuk did not answer the question of why US airlines and those of other world countries banned civil flights in the Middle East, while Ukraine did not.

12:22 p.m. “It is absolutely certain that it is too early to talk about any causes,” said Honcharuk.

12:16 p.m. Briefing by Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk and NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov:

12:15 p.m. The Swedish Foreign Ministry confirmed the deaths of its citizens in the crash. According to preliminary information, 8 Swedish citizens were killed.

11:50 a.m. The information on the website of the Ukrainian Embassy in Iran has been updated. It now says that a commission is looking into the causes of the air crash, and that any statements about the causes of the accident are not official until the commission’s decision.

11:40 a.m. Putin sent Zelensky a telegram with condolences and words of sympathy and support for the relatives and loved ones of the victims.

11:36 a.m. Rosaviatsia is restricting flights over Iran and Iraq.

11:34 a.m. Air France announced the suspension of flights over Iran and Iraq. Major airlines are rerouting their flights.

11:20 a.m. Iranian media, citing local aviation officials, claim that the pilot did not declare an emergency.

11:10 a.m. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu expressed condolences to Ukraine.

11:01 a.m. According to TK Media, the names of 9 crew members who died are known:

1. Oleksiy Naumkin — flight captain
2. Volodymyr Haponenko — flight captain
3. Serhiy Khomenko — first officer
4. Kateryna Statnyk
5. Ihor Matkov
6. Mariia Mykytiuk
7. Denys Lykhno
8. Valeriia Ovcharuk
9. Yuliia Sologub

10:48 a.m. Information stating that a missile or terrorist attack was not responsible for the plane crash has been removed from the website of the Ukrainian Embassy in Iran.

10:46 a.m. A list of passengers who were supposed to be on board has appeared online — Kyiv Operativ.

10:43 a.m. “All possible versions must be considered. Regardless of the conclusions about the causes of the crash in Iran, a check of the airworthiness of the entire civil fleet will be carried out,” said Zelensky’s press secretary Yuliia Mendel.

10:28 a.m. “There is a special body — the National Bureau for Investigation of Aviation Accidents and Incidents involving Civil Aircraft of Ukraine. And this body will form the commission,” said UIA.

10:26 a.m. “THE AIRCRAFT WAS SERVICEABLE! We guarantee the aircraft’s airworthiness,” — UIA.

10:25 a.m. Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the Prosecutor General to open a criminal case over the crash of the UIA plane in Tehran.

10:23 a.m. “If we had even the slightest information about threats, we would have certainly stopped the flights. In the next few minutes we will publish the passenger list. Our representatives have begun working at Tehran Airport with the relatives of this flight’s passengers. We have already found the parents of the flight attendants and are looking for the families of the pilots. We are accommodating those who have arrived in hotels. Psychologists and specialists will work with them,” — UIA.

10:21 a.m. Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko published official information about the countries of origin of the passengers.

10:17 a.m. UIA learned about the incident from CNN. They did not comment, checking and confirming the information in accordance with the necessary procedures, they said at a press conference.

10:16 a.m. “The plane passed its last inspection on January 6; there were no remarks after its arrival in Tehran. The pilots are experienced, with 7,000 to 12,000 flight hours. Captain Haponenko Volodymyr has 11,000 flight hours. Naumkin Oleksiy — an instructor on this aircraft, with 12,000 flight hours. First officer Khomenko Serhiy — 7,600 flight hours. UIA rules out crew error, given that the plane had already reached the required altitude,” — UIA representative at the press conference.

10:14 a.m. “This was one of our best aircraft, with an excellent and reliable crew. 9 crew members. A decision has been made to cancel flights to Iran until further notice. The airline is carrying out all international procedures related to the incident. A special commission is being created,” said a UIA representative at the airline’s press conference.

10:08 a.m. The aircraft’s “black boxes” have been found, Ukrainska Pravda reports.

9:54 a.m. UIA issued an official statement. The company is suspending flights to Iran and expresses its condolences to the families of the victims. Lists of the dead will be published on the website after the passengers’ presence on board is confirmed. The company confirmed that there were 176 passengers on board. UIA noted that the aircraft was built in 2016 and was received from the concern. The plane’s last scheduled inspection took place on January 6, 2020.

9:52 a.m. The NSDC Secretary confirmed the presence of 11 citizens of Ukraine on board.

9:50 a.m. According to media reports, most of the victims are Canadian students who were returning to university after the Christmas holidays.

9:37 a.m. The publication Obozrevatel published a list, according to its data, of the dead citizens of Ukraine. This information has not been officially confirmed.

1. Serhiy Khomenko;
2. Kateryna Statnyk;
3. Mariia Mykytiuk;
4. Valeriia Ovcharuk;
5. Volodymyr Haponenko;
6. Yuliia Sologub;
7. Olha Kobiuk;
8. Alena Malakhova;
9. Oleksiy Naumkin;
10. Ihor Matkov;
11. Denys Lykhno.

9:27 a.m. A video from the crash site has appeared.

9:25 a.m. The Ukrainian Embassy in Iraq stated that the plane crashed due to technical reasons. The version of a terrorist attack or missile strike has been ruled out.

9:22 a.m. A UIA press conference has been announced for 10:00 a.m.

9:14 a.m. The publication Babel confirms the information that most passengers were citizens of Europe and Iran.

9:10 a.m. The Telegram channel of the publication Strana cites the first data on the victims.

1. Citizens of Ukraine — 2;
2. Citizens of Iran — 71;
3. Citizens of Canada — 73;
4. Citizens of Germany — 4;
5. Citizens of the United Kingdom — 3;
6. Citizens of Sweden — 8;
7. Citizens of Afghanistan — 6;
8. About 13 crew members (citizens of Ukraine).

9:07 a.m. A video has appeared that allegedly captures the moment the plane fell.

9:04 a.m. “This young man was meeting his wife,” reports the Telegram channel of journalist Andrey Pavlovsky.

9:00 a.m. Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian ambassador and consul are at Imam Khomeini Airport. The president instructed the NSDC to set up an operational headquarters. Urgent inquiries can be made to the Foreign Ministry hotline at: +38 (044) 238 16 57

8:57 a.m. The crash happened a few days before Boeing’s new CEO Dave Calhoun officially took office. Calhoun replaces Dennis Muilenburg, who was ousted in December after a disastrous year for Boeing, CNN reports.

8:50 a.m. Analyst Igor Tyshkevich called for a sober assessment of the incoming information.

8:41 a.m. The site where the air crash occurred. Source: Daily Mail.

8:38 a.m. Expert from the Ukrainian Institute for the Future and Middle East specialist Iliya Kusa presents 4 versions of what happened.

8:34 a.m. Volodymyr Zelensky cut short his working visit to Oman because of the air crash, the Office of the President reports. The president is returning to Kyiv.

8:31 a.m. The United States closed its airspace over Iran to civil aviation operators.

8:25 a.m. Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said that a Ukrainian consul is working at the scene.

8:16 a.m. The Tehran–Kyiv flight is listed as cancelled at Boryspil Airport. There are people at the airport waiting for the flight.

8:13 a.m. According to Russian media, the head of Iran’s Emergency Situations Ministry confirmed that most passengers of the Ukrainian plane that crashed near Tehran were citizens of Iran.

8:03 a.m. Boeing’s first reaction to the incident: “We are aware of media reports out of Iran. We are gathering information.”

8:00 a.m. Reuters reports that there were 176 people on board.

7:52 a.m. The UIA website and social media accounts have not yet responded to the air crash.

In the Boryspil system, the flight status is listed as “Cancelled”

7:45 a.m. First reaction of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

“Our embassy is clarifying information about the circumstances of the tragedy and the lists of the dead. My sincere condolences to the relatives and loved ones of all passengers and crew members.”

7:39 a.m. Photos from the crash site at dawn in Iran.

7:36 a.m. Another video, apparently from the site where the UIA plane landed.

7:34 a.m. The United States banned its aircraft from flying over Iran, Iraq, the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

7:25 a.m. A Dubai media outlet reports that the most likely cause is a hit by an Iranian missile.

7:10 a.m. The plane caught fire after the crash. This reduces the chances that anyone survived to zero...

7:05 a.m. Video of the plane falling. Fire is visible.

6:50 a.m. The first photos of the crash have started appearing online

6:59 a.m. First video from the crash site