In a leaked ATC record, Iranian pilot of #EP3768 informed controller what looked like a missile being fired

A recording, broadcast by a Ukrainian TV channel Sunday night, has been acknowledged as genuine by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the head of the Iranian investigation team.

Iranian Aseman Airlines Flight EP3768, operated by the pilot in the leaked audio recording, landed at the nearby Mehrabad International Airport just 12 minutes later, at 6:31 a.m. local time.

In the recording, the pilot of the plane heading for Tehran describes to an air traffic controller seeing what looked like a missile being fired, after which there was an explosion and a burning object flying through the air.

The air traffic controller sounded shocked, and the pilot informed him that the object he saw came from Tehran.

Pilot of #EP3768, tells the controller he’s preparing to land but also notices something strange:

1. Pilot EP3768 : – We are approaching from the north, 3768.
2. Dispatcher : – Good morning, 3768.
3. Manager : – Aseman 3768 (not clear), identify 3343 left, level 110.
4. Pilot EP3768 : – We are approaching from the north, 3768.
5. Pilot EP3768 : – Zone 320, active for flight?
6. Manager : – (inaudible).
7. Pilot EP3768 : – Flares like a missile. Is there something there?
8. Manager : – Zone 320? How many miles away? Where?
9. EP3768 Pilot : – I can’t say for sure. But I think it is near Payam airport.
10. Manager : – How many miles? Where?
11. Pilot EP3768 : – I now see the light as it flies from there.
12. Dispatcher : – We were not informed of this.
13. Manager : – How does it look? What does this light look like?
14. Pilot EP3768 : – That’s exactly the light from a rocket.
15. Dispatcher : – She is not flying in the direction of Tehran, no?
16. Pilot EP3768 : – Possibly … And, no, no, the side of the city.
17. Dispatcher : – We were told nothing, but keep watching.
18. Pilot EP3768 : – Good. I’m on the landing course.
19. Manager : – “Ukrainian International Airlines” 752, do you read?
20. Manager : – “Ukrainian International Airlines” 752, do you read?
21. Dispatcher : – “Ukrainian International Airlines” 752, do you read?
22. (request repeated several times from 02:27 to 04:25, unanswered)
23. Dispatcher : – “Aseman” 3768, you see nothing else up there?
24. Pilot EP3768 : – Mr, we saw an explosion, a big explosion from the explosion, we do not understand what it is.