Any link to this pic source?
It looks like the smoking gun but could have come from anywhere, especially the M.E.

What do you guys think of this? This was a comment in regards to why the plane flamed up even more before making impact.


“He hit electricity pylons before impacting the ground. You can see then in certain photos taken the crash scene. Perhaps the accident is unconstrained engine / fan blade failure severing hydraulic lines rendering the plane uncontrollable with one engine out and no hydraulics.”


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could be SA-15. In 2005/6 Iran acquired them.

Thought it more logical to be SA-6.


The engines looked to be in good shape from the imagery shown thus far. So, I can't see anything causing an uncontained engine failure/fire. Look at the blades, they are all there. Also, look at the kinetics of the engine. That big of a mass is not even disfigured.

I would not be surprised if Iran doesn't start washing all of the pieces with soap and water to get explosive residue off the parts/pieces.

The small rods from the explosive war head should still be evident and easy to notice.

The explosive is easy to detect.

What will be interesting is if our RJ's and other assets picked up a scrum half radar going into high PRF. What these iranians don't realize is lots of electronic vacuum cleaners out there snorting up electrons and identifying purpose and location of those trons.

ICAO hopefully is putting on their big boy pants and getting their team up and running. No one should be allowed to touch the wreckage until the named Investigator In Charge take command and releases bodies and picks up the two black (orange) boxes.

Wreckage spread out. Lots of small tiny fires. No "smoking hole". wreckage impact was fairly flat. Not fan shaped and not vertical.

No, I have yet to see proper attribution which is why I noted it was unverified.

What I do note is the ground and lighting conditions match pictures from Tehran during the recovery of bodies yesterday, and I don't think the SA15 has been operationally fired in a lot of environments, limiting the opportunity to see their seeker heads just lying on the ground.

Based on associates that have been flagged by TSA after investigating ballistic parachute deployments, I do not think that would be a very effective method, not impossible, but likely to be discovered by intelligence means and likely to not be effective even being extremely careful. Nothing is outside the realm of possibility until it's ruled out of course, but there have been plenty of strange things in aviation that surprised people. Rudders ripping off due to improper use. Fuselages blowing apart due to fuel tank ignition. Fuel tank punctures on takeoff, etc.

Yes. Here’s a link to the finder:

https://www.rightjournalism.com/iran...-today-photos/

Utter equestrian manure. Here is the flaming descent. I doubt the Iranians have power lines 2-3000 ft AGL.

https://mobile.twitter.com/alihashem...7bwvjr8bkn6mye

Show us the pass list and who each person was on board and That may give you the reason.

I also noted similarity of terrain/plants in the background, and also wondered if the SA-15 was widely fielded...or operationally fired.

I came to the same conclusion as you.

According to numerous sources the Iranians have 29 TOR missile systems which fire the SA-15. It’s sort of a tank chassis with radar, a three man crew, and either 8 or 16 missiles depending on model. The missile is popped out of its tube by a gas cartridge and then ignites its engine. This is the eight missile model.



Although they work best if integrated into a regional fire control network they are capable of independent action so in theory at least just the senior of the three guys in the crew could have made the call to launch.