Iran’s Judiciary says a number of arrests have been made in connection with the recent downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane nearTehran, which killed all 176 on board. rmed Forces to investigate the tragedy. “Thorough investigations have been launched and a number of individuals have been arrested,” said the official, without specifying
Iran confirms arrests made in connection with the recent downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane near capital city Teheran – killing all 176 passengers on board//CRIMSON TAZVINZWA/
Gholam-Hossein Esmaili, the Judiciary’s spokesman, said on Tuesday that special commissions had been set up by the General Staff of the Armed Forces to investigate the tragedy.
“Thorough investigations have been launched and a number of individuals have been arrested,” said the official, without specifying exactly how many people were in detention.
The Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces has been tasked with probing the data on the aircraft’s black boxes with the help of experts from the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran as well as electronic warfare professionals, the spokesman said.
Esmaili further noted that efforts would be made to shed light on all dimensions of the incident and to ensure that justice is served.
An Iranian air defense unit mistakenly shot down Flight 752 of the Ukrainian International Airlines on Wednesday morning shortly after take-off from Tehran en route to Kiev.
The operator had mistaken the Boeing 737-800 with a cruise missile at a time when the air defense systems were at the highest level of alert following Iran’s missile strike on a US air base in Iraq in retaliation for Washington’s assassination of prominent commander Lieutenant General
Iran says a Ukrainian plane which crashed outside Tehran this week had flown close to a sensitive military site and been brought down due to human error “at a time of crisis caused by US adventurism.”
The official said that many individuals had already been interrogated as part of the probe, and that documents and evidence were being collected.
‘Judiciary regards UK envoy as persona non grata’
Elsewhere in his remarks, Esmaili referred to the brief arrest of British Ambassador to Tehran Robert Macaire during an unauthorized protest near Tehran’s Amir Kabir University on Saturday.
“The fact that the UK ambassador to the Islamic Republic attends an illegal gathering, takes photos and videos of the event and plays a provocative role is totally unacceptable,” he said.
“In his first encounter with [Iranian] security forces, [Macaire] spoke in English and refused to introduce himself, but when he later realized that he risked being arrested, he began to speak in Persian and introduced himself as Britain’s envoy,” the official added.
He said the British ambassador’s action clearly amounted to “mischief and lying,” stressing that “under international law, such elements are regarded as persona non grata, whether they are diplomats or not. The public is demanding his expulsion.”
The official said the responsibility to make a decision in this regard resides with the Foreign Ministry, but that from the Judiciary’s perspective, “Macaire is a persona non grata.”
Arrests made over downing of Ukraine jetliner//CRIMSON TAZVINZWA
9 Killed In Plane Crash During Skydiving Trip In Sweden//AIWA! NO!/
Nine Swedes were killed when their plane crashed during a skydiving trip near Umea, a small university city in northern Sweden, authorities said on Sunday.
The small plane designed to carry parachutists crashed on an island on the Ume river shortly after take off, police spokesman Peder Jonsson said, adding the cause for the accident was unknown. He said those on board were on a skydiving trip.
The region’s main University Hospital of Umea confirmed there were no survivors and relatives of the deceased had been notified.
Neither Jonsson nor the hospital immediately identified the victims’ names or nationalities.
A Jet2 flight was forced to return to Stansted due to an “extremely disruptive passenger”
A woman has been arrested after two RAF jets were scrambled to escort a Jet2 flight back to Stansted Airport.
The “extremely disruptive passenger”, 25, was on board a flight from Stansted to Dalaman in Turkey on Saturday when the pilot was forced to return to the London airport.
Essex Police confirmed that a woman was arrested on suspicion of assault and endangering an aircraft.
A Jet2 spokeswoman said: “We are aware of an incident regarding an extremely disruptive passenger on a flight from Stansted to Dalaman earlier this evening.
“The aircraft has returned safely and we are liaising with the relevant authorities to support their investigation.
“We are working hard to ensure the remaining customers reach their destination as soon possible.”
An Essex Police spokeswoman said: “We were made aware of a disruptive passenger on an inbound flight to Stansted this evening, Saturday June 22.
“There is a possibility that residents nearby may have heard a loud noise, often associated with a sonic boom, as the aircraft descended into Stansted airspace.
“Officers attended and arrested a 25-year-old woman on suspicion of two assaults and endangering an aircraft. She remains in custody.”
A Royal Air Force spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that RAF quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby scrambled to escort a commercial flight into Stansted shortly after take-off due to reports of a disruptive passenger.”
The two Typhoon fighter aircraft caused a sonic boom as the plane was escorted back to Stansted, prompting people to call 999 as they feared there had been an explosion.
One man described the noise as a “huge bang” which “nearly blew my window out”.
Bishop’s Stortford police tweeted: “Large number of 999 calls coming in about a loud explosion.
“We have liaised with @EssexPoliceUK who are confirming that this is a sonic boom from a passing aircraft.”
Paris Air Show FILE – In this Monday, April 29, 2019 file photo, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg speaks during a news conference after the company’s annual shareholders meeting at the Field Museum in Chicago. Boeing’s CEO says the company made a “mistake” in handling a problematic cockpit warning system in 737 Max jets ahead of two deadly crashes of the top-selling plane. Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg told reporters in Paris on Sunday, June 16 that the company’s communication “was not consistent,” calling that “unacceptable.”(AP Photo/Jim Young, file)
CEO: Boeing made mistake in handling warning-system problem|ANGELA CHARLTON,//Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — The chief executive of Boeing said the company made a “mistake” in handling a problematic cockpit warning system in its 737 Max jets before two crashes killed 346 people, and he promised transparency as the aircraft maker works to get the grounded plane back in flight.
Speaking before the industry-wide Paris Air Show, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told reporters Boeing’s communication with regulators, customers and the public “was not consistent. And that’s unacceptable.”
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has faulted Boeing for not telling regulators for more than a year that a safety indicator in the cockpit of the top-selling plane didn’t work as intended.
Boeing and the FAA have said the warning light wasn’t critical for flight safety. But the botched communication has eroded trust in Boeing as the company struggles to rebound from the passenger jet crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
“We clearly had a mistake in the implementation of the alert,” Muilenburg said.
Pilots also have expressed anger that Boeing did not inform them about the new software that’s been implicated in the fatal crashes.
Muilenburg expressed confidence that the Boeing 737 Max would be cleared to fly again later this year by U.S. and all other global regulators.
“We will take the time necessary” to ensure the Max is safe, he said.
The model has been grounded worldwide for three months, and regulators need to approve Boeing’s long-awaited fix to the software before it can return to the skies.
Muilenburg called the crashes of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines jets a “defining moment” for Boeing, but said he thinks the result will be a “better and stronger company.”
In the United States, Boeing has faced scrutiny from members of Congress and the FAA over how it reported the problem involving a cockpit warning light.
The company discovered in 2017 that a warning light designed to alert pilots when sensors measuring the angle of a plane’s nose might be wrong only worked if airlines had purchased a separate feature.
The angle-measuring sensors have been implicated in the Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October and the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March. The sensors malfunctioned, alerting software to push the noses of the planes down. The pilots were unable to take back control of the planes.
Boeing told the FAA of what it learned in 2017 after the Indonesia crash.
Pilot Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the union that represents American Airlines pilot, the Allied Pilots Association, said it’s good Muilenburg was willing to revisit the cockpit alert problem and to acknowledge Boeing mishandled conveying information.
But Tajer said he thinks Boeing made a series of unprecedented communication missteps that have “created a massive headwind to rebuilding trust.”
Restoring trust in the Max is Boeing’s No. 1 priority, Muilenburg said — ahead of an upgraded 777 and work on its upcoming NMA long-range jet.
The Max, the newest version of Boeing’s best-selling 737, is critical to the company’s future. The Max was a direct response to rival Airbus’ fuel-efficient A320neo, one of the European plane maker’s most popular jets; Airbus has outpaced Boeing in sales in the category.
The Max crashes, a slowing global economy, and damage from tariffs and trade fights threaten to cloud the mood at the Paris Air Show. Along with its alternating-years companion, the Farnborough International Airshow near London, the Paris show is usually a celebration of cutting-edge aviation technology.
Muilenburg forecast a limited number of orders at the Paris event, the first major air show since the crashes, but said it was still important for Boeing to attend to talk to customers and others in the industry.
He also announced that Boeing was raising its long-term forecast for global plane demand, notably amid sustained growth in Asia.
Boeing expects the world’s airlines will need 44,000 planes within 20 years, up from a previous forecast of 43,000 planes.
Muilenburg projected that within 10 years, the overall aviation market — including passenger jets, cargo and warplanes — would be worth $8.7 trillion, compared to earlier forecasts of $8.1 trillion.
Both estimates are higher than the ones from Airbus, which sees slower growth ahead.
However, Airbus is heading into the Paris show with confidence. It is expected to announce several plane sales and unveil its A321 XLR long-range jet. Airbus executives said the Max crashes aren’t affecting their sales strategy, but are a reminder of the importance to the whole industry of ensuring safety.
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Rachel Lerman in San Francisco contributed to this report
