Ukrainian Plane Crash Victims: Who Were the Passengers?

The Ukrainian plane crash of a Boeing 737 upon takeoff at Tehran, Iran’s airport took the lives of the 176 souls on board, passengers and crew. Who were the victims? Who was on board the plane? They included 63 Canadians and people from six other nationalities around the world.

Multiple news organizations – from CBS to The New York Times – are now reporting that US officials believe Iran likely shot down the plane with an anti-aircraft missile, perhaps accidentally.

Here’s what’s known. According to CNN, the Ukrainian foreign minister said people from these nationalities were on board the doomed aircraft. There are no survivors:

– 82 Iranians
– 63 Canadians
– 11 Ukrainians
– 10 Swedes
– 4 Afghans
– 3 Germans
– 3 British nationals

The names of the three British victims have now been released. They are Sam Zokaei, Mohammad Reza Kadkhoda-Zadeh, and Saeed Tahmasebi.

According to UK Mirror, Kadkhoda-Zadeh, 40, was a father of one who was visiting family in Iran for Christmas and lived in Brighton. The site reports that Saeed was originally from Iran and “had been on his way back to the UK with his wife, who he had only recently married.” Zokaei “worked for BP as a senior reservoir engineer and lived in London,” according to Mirror.

According to CBC, 167 of the dead were passengers and 9 were crew members. Kyiv Post reported that most of the plane’s passengers were ultimately destined for Toronto. The Canadian victims included an entire family:

The airline released a statement, saying that the flight crew consisted of three pilots:

Captain Volodymyr Gaponenko (11600 hours on Boeing 737aircraft including 5500 hours as captain);
Instructor pilot Oleksiy Naumkin (12000 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft including 6600 hours as captain);
First officer Serhii Khomenko (7600 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft).

“Tehran airport is anything but a simple one,” the airline wrote. “Therefore, for several years UIA has been using this airport to conduct training on Boeing 737 aircraft aimed at evaluating pilots’ proficiency and ability to act in emergency cases. According to our records, the aircraft ascended as high as 2400 meters. Given the crew’s experience, error probability is minimal. We do not even consider such a chance.” There were also six flight attendants on the aircraft.

The airline also released the entire passenger manifest. Here are the names:

Surname, Name, Year of Birth

Abaspourqadi Mohamm 1986
Abbasnezhad Mojtaba 1993
Abtahiforoushani Seyedmehran 1982
Aghabali Iman 1991
Agha Miri Maryam 1973
Ahmadi Motahereh 2011
Ahmadi Muh Sen 2014
Ahmadi Rahmtin 2010
Ahmadi Sekinhe 1989
Ahmady Mitra 1973
Amirliravi Mahsa 1989
Arasteh Fareed 1987
Arbabbahrami Arshia 2000
Arsalani Evin 1990
Asadilari Mohammadhossein 1996
Asadilari Zeynab 1998
Ashrafi Habibabadi Amir 1991
Attar Mahmood 1950
Azadian Roja 1977
Azhdari Ghanimat 1983
Badiei Ardestani Mehraban 2001
Bashiri Samira 1990
Beiruti Mohammad Amin 1990
Borghei Negar 1989
Choupannejad Shekoufeh 1963
Dadashnejad Delaram 1993
Daneshmand Mojgan 1976
Dhirani Asgar 1945
Djavadi Asll Hamidreza 1967
Djavadi Asll Kian 2002
Ebnoddin Hamidi Ardalan 1971
Ebnoddin Hamidi Kamyar 2004
Ebrahim Niloufar 1985
Ebrahimi Khoei Behnaz 1974
Eghbali Bazoft Shahrokh 1960
Eghbali Bazoft Shahzad 2011
Eghbalian Parisa 1977
Elyasi Mohammad Mahdi 1991
Emami Sayedmahdi 1959
Emami Sophie 2014
Eshaghian Dorcheh Mehdi 1995
Esmaeilion Reera 2010
Esnaashary Esfahani Mansour 1990
Faghihi Sharieh 1961
Falsafi Faezeh 1973
Falsafi Faraz 1988
Farzaneh Aida 1986
Feghahati Shakiba 1980
Foroutan Marzieh 1982
Ghaderpanah Iman 1985
Ghaderpanah Parinaz 1986
Ghafouri Azar Siavash 1984
Ghandchi Daniel 2011
Ghandchi Dorsa 2003
Ghasemi Ariani Milad 1987
Ghasemi Dastjerdi Fatemeh 1994
Ghasemi Amirhossein 1987
Ghasemi Kiana 2000
Ghavi Mandieh 1999
Ghavi Masoumeh 1989
Gholami Farideh 1981
Ghorbani Bahabadi A 1998
Golbabapour Suzan 1970
Gorji Pouneh 1994
Haghjoo Saharnaz 1982
Hajesfandiari Bahareh 1978
Hajiaghavand Sadaf 1992
Hajighassemi Mandieh 1981
Hamzeei Sara 1986
Hasani/sadi Zahra 1994
Hashemi Shanrzad 1974
Hassannezhad Parsa 2003
Hatefi Mostaghim Sahan 1987
Hayatdavoudi Hadis 1992
Jadidi Elsa 2011
Jadidi Pedran 1991
Jamshidi Shadi 1988
Jebelli Mohammaddam 1990
Kadkhoda Zaden Mohammaddam 1979
Kadkhodazaden Kasha 1990
Karamimoghadam Bahareh 1986
Katebi Rahimen 1999
Kaveh Azaden 1979
Kazerani Fatemeh 1987
Khadem Forough 1981
Kobiuk Olga 1958
Lindberg Emil 2012
Lindberg Erik 2010
Lindberg Raheleh 1982
Lindberg Mikael 1979
Madani Firouzeh 1965
Maghsoudlouestarabadi Siavash 1976
Maghsoudlouesterabadi Paria 2004
Mahmoodi Fatemeh 1989
Malakhova Olena 1981
Malek Maryam 1979
Maleki Dizaje Fereshteh 1972
Mamani Sara 1983
Mianji Mohammadjavad 1992
Moeini Mohammad 1984
Moghaddam Rosstin 2010
Mohammadi Mehdi 1999
Molani Hiva 1981
Molani Kurdia 2018
Moradi Amir 1998
Morattab Arvin 1984
Moshrefrazavimoghaddam Soheila 1964
Mousavi Daria 2005
Mousavi Dorina 2010
Mousavibafrooei Pedram 1972
Nabiyi Elnaz 1989
Naderi Farzahen 1981
Naghibi Zahra 1975
Naghib Lahouti Mehr 1987
Nahavandi Milad 1985
Niazi Arnica 2011
Niazi Arsan 2008
Niknam Farhad 1975
Norouzi Alireza 2008
Nourian Ghazal 1993
Oladi Alma 1992
Omidbakhsh Roja 1996
Ovaysi Amir Hossein 1978
Ovaysi Asal 2013
Pasavand Fatemeh 2002
Pey Alireza 1972
Pourghaderi Ayeshe 1983
Pourjam Mansour 1966
Pourshabanoshibi Naser 1966
Pourzarabi Arash 1993
Raana Shahab 1983
Rahimi Jiwan 2016
Rahimi Razgar 1981
Rahmanifar Nasim 1994
Razzaghi Khamsi Ni 1974
Rezai Mahdi 2000
Rezae Hossain 1999
Saadat Saba 1998
Saadat Sara 1996
Saadat Zeinolabedin 1990
Saati Kasra 1972
Sadeghi Alvand 1990
Sadeghi Anisa 2009
Sadeghi Mirmohammad 1976
Sadeghi Sahand 1980
Sadighi Neda 1969
Sadr Niloufar 1958
Sadr Seyednoojan 2008
Saeedinia Amirhosse 1994
Safarpoorkoloor Pe 1999
Saket Mohammadhosse 1986
Salahi Moh 1988
Saleheh Mohammad 1987
Saraeian Sajedeh 1993
Setareh Kokab Hamid 1988
Shadkhoo Sheyda 1978
Shaterpour Khiaban 1988
Soltani Paniz 1991
Tahmasebi Khademasa 1984
Tajik Mahdi 1999
Tajik Shahram 1998
Tarbhai Afifa 1964
Tarbha Alina 1988
Toghian Darya 1997
Zarei Arad 2002
Zibaie Maya 2004
Zokaei Sam 1977

“Tragic news regarding Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752,” wrote Canada’s minister of government affairs, François-Philippe Champagne. “Our hearts are with the loved ones of the victims, including many Canadians. I have been in touch with the government of Ukraine. We will continue to keep Canadians informed as the situation evolves. #PS752.”

Iranian media has given the cause as engine malfunction. The Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran posted the following statement, according to CNN: “According to preliminary information, the plane crashed due to an engine malfunction. The version of the terrorist attack or rocket attack is currently excluded.”

However, CBC later reported that Ukraine has backed off any determination of cause until an investigation can be completed.

The president of Ukraine warned against speculation, writing on Facebook, “I ask everyone to keep from speculating and putting forth unconfirmed theories about the crash.”

GettyA women reacts at the arrival gate of the Boryspil airport outside Kiev on January 8, 2020.

According to ISNA, an Iranian news agency widely quoted in American media on the crash, most of the people on the doomed plane were Iranians. That agency said 144 of the plane’s passengers were Iranians but those numbers don’t match those given out by the Ukrainian foreign minister.

Grim photos showed a massive debris field with very little left of the plane.

GettyPeople stand near the wreckage after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 passengers crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran on January 8, 2020.

According to ISNA, the cause of the plane crash was “engine failure.” However, on social media, many are raising questions of that claim by Iranian-controlled media, after video emerged that appeared to show the plane falling from the sky already on fire. Even ISNA wrote that the plane was “burning in the sky before crashing in a huge explosion.”

Here’s what you need to know:

The Plane Went Down a Few Minutes After It Took Off From the Tehran Airport

Red Crescent SocietyThe wreckage

Kyiv Post says most of the passengers “were foreign citizens using Kyiv as a stopover for further travels.” The newspaper quoted the head of the airline, Yevhen Dykhne, as saying, “I guarantee that all of our planes are fit to fly. There weren’t any problems with the plane.”

The plane was heading to Kiev in the Ukraine. It didn’t make it very far, crashing only a couple minutes after taking off, and hurtling to the ground.

“It was one of the best planes we had, with an amazing, reliable crew,” Yevhen Dykhne, president of the Ukraine International Airlines, said in a briefing, according to Daily Beast.

The crash came shortly after Iran lobbed missiles at two bases in Iraq that house American soldiers, but no evidence has emerged of a connection.

This post will be updated with more information on the passengers and crew as it is released.

READ NEXT: More Details & Photos from the Plane Crash.