Page 10 - Flight International (January 2020)

Bek Air probe
THIS WEEK
reveals safety
problems
Air Transport P12

INVESTIGATION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Details emerge of Iran 737 shootdown

Probe requests analysis of Ukrainian airliner's wreckage to establish if it was hit by two missiles from Tor-M1 system
ranian investigators have dis- fence operations” on the accident.
Iclosed that two missiles from a Investigators have received in-
Tor-M1 anti-aircraft system were formation that two missiles from
fired before the loss of a Ukraine a Tor-M1 system – also known as
International Airlines Boeing the SA-15, and which uses a
737-800 shortly after departure 9M331 surface-to-air weapon –
from Tehran. were fired towards the aircraft
The Civil Aviation Organiza- from the north.
tion states that secondary radar “The impact of these missiles
contact with flight PS752 was ini- on the accident and analysis of
tially lost at 06:15, about 3min this action are under investiga-
after take-off, as the aircraft tion,” the inquiry says.
climbed through 8,100ft having It has detailed the preparations
been cleared to 26,000ft. for the flight to Kiev, stating that
But Mehrabad primary surveil- the aircraft was replenished with Ephraim Noroozi/AP/Shutterstock
lance radar was able to continue 9.5t of fuel.
tracking the aircraft as it made a But a load-sheet calculation
right turn. The inquiry says this showed the maximum weight for Downed jet ploughed through a park and football field on impact
turn was “possibly towards the air- the aircraft needed to be 72.5t,
port”, but has not indicated wheth- and that 82 items in the baggage runway 29R. transmissions were made from
er the jet was under control or hold – equating to 2,090kg Mehrabad radar control, with the crew indicating any unusual
whether the turn was intentional. (4,600lb) of the overall 6,790kg of which the airport tower had pre- circumstances.
After a further 3min of flight, at baggage – were offloaded in order viously co-ordinated the flight, Although one of the aircraft’s
06:18, radar contact was lost com- to meet the criteria, bringing the contacted the crew and cleared it emergency locator transmitters
pletely. The aircraft came down 737’s weight down such that it to climb to 26,000ft. The depar- activated, its antenna had
about 9nm (17km) north-north- was 32kg below the maximum. ture route required the crew to become detached during the
west of the airport, carving a track This offloading resulted in a perform a right turn after reach- accident. Both flight recorders
on a heading of about 160° through delay to the departure. The flight, ing 6,000ft and proceed direct to were retrieved, with their memo-
an ornamental park and a football parked on stand 116R, had been the waypoint PAROT located ry modules, but both sustained
playing field as it disintegrated. scheduled for 05:15 but the 75nm north-northwest of Imam fire and impact damage.
The inquiry says specific tests aircraft’s doors were not closed Khomeini airport. The crew read Investigators state that a special
have been requested by investiga- until 05:49. The inquiry says 167 back the instructions. task force, to explore unusual cir-
tors on aircraft components to ex- passengers had boarded, with But from 06:18, says the in- cumstances, has conducted tests
plore any evidence of fuselage one no-show. quiry, the radar controller in- for radiation and explosives.
and other structural impact from Shortly afterwards the aircraft formed the crew that he had lost Analysis of luggage “reinforces
a foreign object, in relation to the was cleared for pushback and it contact. No response from the the suspicion” that the presence of
possible influence of “missile de- eventually took off at 06:12 from aircraft was received, and no explosives should be probed. ■

flightglobal.com 28 January-3 February 2020 | Flight International | 11