Iran’s co-operation in crash probe ‘encouraging,’ TSB chair says

OTTAWA – The head of the Transportation Safety Board says Canadian investigators have left Turkey for Iran to probe the downing of a Ukraine International Airlines plane last week.

TSB investigators are seeking access to the plane’s flight data recorders, known as the “black boxes,” to help with the work being led by Iran’s civil aviation authority.

The chair of the Canadian investigation body says Iran has been exceeding international requirements for such investigations.

Kathy Fox says she expects Canadian investigators will have access to the crash site outside Tehran and to the remains of the plane, which are being reconstructed elsewhere.

She calls Iran’s level of co-operation encouraging.

Iran admitted over the weekend that one of its own missiles took down the Boeing 737-800, but called it a horrible mistake.

All 176 on board were killed, including 138 people who were headed for Canada.

Champagne tweeted Monday afternoon that all visas had been approved for investigators and Canadian consular officials who are helping grieving families.

Fox would not release the names of the investigators, citing security reasons. That’s an unusual precaution.

Earlier Monday, Canadian Jewish and Iranian organizations reiterated their demands for the federal government to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.

Doing so would remove a legal obstacle and enable Canadian victims to sue the Iranian government under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.