(CNN) – Iran says it will not deliver to the US authorities the black boxes of the Boeing 737 of Ukrainian Airlines that crashed when it took off from Tehran.
In statements to the agency of news semi-official Mehr of Iran, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Iran, Ali Abedzadeh, said the black boxes would be analyzed in the country where the accident occurred, according to the rules of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). He also said that Ukrainian researchers would be part of the process.
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However, Abedzadeh ruled out to involve U.S at any stage of the investigation. “We will not give the black box to the manufacturer [Boeing] or the United States, ”he said.
Without speaking in detail about the accident, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Iran revealed that the pilot did not report any problems to air traffic control, but said it was still too early to say what caused the accident.
“The cause of the accident will not be discovered or announced until the black box is analyzed,” he added.
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A Ukrainian plane crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran early Wednesday (local time), according to the Iranian semi-official news agency ISNA. The Boeing 737 belonging to Ukrainian Airlines had 176 occupants and crew on board and crashed shortly after takeoff due to technical difficulties, says ISNA. Preliminary reports suggest that the plane was on its way to Kiev.
All passengers and crew members aboard the crashed Ukrainian flight died, according to Iran’s press television, citing Ali Khashani, a senior public relations officer at Imam Khomeini International Airport.
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that 167 passengers and nine crew members were on board the flight.
The plane caught fire after crashing.
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