Boeing Plane Crashes Shortly After Takeoff in Iran, All 176 Aboard Dead
The plane is not the same model that has crashed twice already
Update: On Saturday, Iran said it had accidentally shot down the Ukrainian jetliner.
A Boeing plane belonging to Ukraine International Airlines crashed Wednesday shortly after taking off from an airport in Tehran, Iran.
Local media cited technical problems as the cause of the crash, according to the New York Times. Flight 752 was bound for Ukraine, carrying 176 passengers and crew.
What has already been a difficult period for Boeing may have gotten much worse. While the plane that crashed wasn’t the beleaguered 737 Max 8, it was a similar model, a Boeing 737-800. The 737 Max 8 has been grounded since March 2018, the longest grounding in the history of the Federal Aviation Administration.
The deaths of 346 people in the two 737 Max 8 crashes—first in Indonesia, then in Ethiopia—ultimately led to a suspension of production and the exit of Boeing’s CEO Dennis Muilenburg.
In October, Muilenberg represented Boeing before Congress, telling legislators, “My company and I are accountable, that accountability starts with me and my position.”
According to Iranian state news media, most of the passengers onboard the plane that crashed this morning were Iranian.
When asked for comment, Boeing shared a brief statement: “This is a tragic event and our heartfelt thoughts are with the crew, passengers, and their families. We are in contact with our airline customer and stand by them in this difficult time. We are ready to assist in any way needed.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his “sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of all the passengers and crew members” in a Facebook post.
