Safety
Iran Says Air Defense System Failings Caused PS752 Shootdown
An initial report by Iran's civil aviation organization indicated that a realignment of an air defense system outside Tehran triggered a chain of errors.
A Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 takes off from Dusseldorf in 2018. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Marvin Mutz)
A Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 takes off from Dusseldorf in 2018. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Marvin Mutz)

An initial report into the shooting down of a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 soon after takeoff from Tehran on January 8 has implicated incorrect changes to the alignment of Iranian air defense systems and a failure by military personnel to follow correct procedures. The factual report, issued by the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CAO-IRI) on July 11, confirmed that two surface-to-air missiles destroyed the aircraft just over two hours after military officials instructed civilian air traffic controllers that airline departures would require clearance from military authorities.