- On Wednesday, 176 people died in the crash of a Ukrainian airliner in Iran.
- The cause of the crash is subject to heated debate between the different nations involved: Iran supports the thesis of the technological fire, while Canada (whose citizens died in the crash) and the United States accuse the Republic Islamist for accidentally touching the plane during a military operation targeting US bases in Iraq.
- How will the investigation of this crash take place in such a tense international context?
First there is the figure and the mourning: 176 people, mostly Iranians and Canadians, died Wednesday in the crash of a Ukrainian airliner near Tehran. Then come the questions, especially a central one: why did the plane crash? Iran side, we defend the thesis of the accident, while the United Kingdom and especially Canada evoke an Iranian missile which would have reached the plane by mistake during the operation which aimed at American bases in Iraq. A version also supported by the United States.
How to decide between the two versions and shed light on this crash in such a tense international context? 20 Minutes takes stock of the situation.
Which country will lead the investigation?
The country in which the accident takes place is responsible for steering the investigation. Small technical point, if the plane crash takes place in international waters, as was the case for example of the flight Rio-Paris, the airline will be responsible for the investigation.
Be that as it may, in the event of a technical accident, the country's investigation office will rely on two other nations, the country that makes the plane and the country of the airline, in order to reap the maximum of information. Countries with many victims, such as Canada in this case, can also be consulted, but it is not necessarily systematic. "They do not always have useful information to give," said Jean-Paul Troadec, former director of the BEA (Bureau of Investigation and Analysis responsible for studying plane accidents). During the investigation, other design offices may be consulted. The BEA is in particular often called upon because of its expertise.
During an attack or an attack, it is always in the country where the tragedy takes place to carry out the investigation, but the rules are less precise. It is not necessarily necessary to consult the country of the manufacturer or of the airline company, because their technical data can be completely useless. Conversely, countries concerned by the dead can meddle in the case themselves. According to Jean-Paul Troadec, “we must distinguish the technical investigation from the judicial investigation. The technical investigation is the responsibility of the country where the crash takes place, but judicial investigations can be opened by all the countries concerned. "
How to distinguish a technological crash from an attack?
Two means are frequently used. First, the famous black boxes. To know if it is an attack, it is above all their silence that proves it. According to Robert Galan, fighter and test pilot, aeronautical expert having studied the files of about thirty plane accidents, “a black box records the noises of the device, and the other the measurements. If we don't hear any discussion between the pilots before, it's often because of a sudden explosion. "Ditto for the box containing the technical measures:" If all goes well and that suddenly, there is no more signal, we will look at the thesis of the attack, whether a bomb or a missile . "
Another sometimes even more explicit clue is the debris from the plane. "During a sudden explosion, there are carbon releases, traces of impact," says Robert Galan. “A missile rarely explodes directly in contact with the plane but often a little before. Suddenly, it is also possible to find debris from the missile, ”adds Jean-Paul Troadec.
Can everyone have access to the clues found?
It is this point that is likely to be complicated in this case. Technically speaking, it is the country where the crash took place that begins the investigation and therefore seizes the evidence first. In this case, it is therefore Iran that will be the first to manage the black boxes, and especially the debris. A case that can be problematic for Jean-Paul Troadec: "If one does not have to be suspicious, nothing says that Iran does not remove traces that it does not want others to see or keep some annoying debris. However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaïko said on Friday that their "team has now gained access to the black boxes" at a press conference.
While the United States and Iran experienced a surge in tension after the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the two countries now seem to have entered a de-escalation. On Thursday, the head of the Iranian Civil Aviation Agency said that France, Canada and the United States were invited to come and consult the information contained in the black boxes.
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