Dubai: The investigation into the United Parcel Services cargo plane that crashed in Dubai on Friday "could take over a year", a civil aviation authority said.
Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the General Civil Aviation Authority, told Gulf News that there was a possibility that a fire broke out in the cockpit of the Boeing 747-400 but it was impossible to determine the cause of the crash until the investigation was complete. "If the reason is clear, an investigation can be completed in two or three months, but if the situation remains as unclear as it is, it could take more than a year," he said.
Damage
Al Suwaidi said there was not much damage at the crash "as it mostly hit an empty ground" but police sources told Gulf News that a restaurant, a hangar and a garage of military trucks were also hit, damaging all that was inside.
Both of the pilots were American citizens, according to the airplane manifest. The American embassy has been notified about the death of its citizens.
The plane took off at approximately 7pm, crashed at 7.45pm and the fire was extinguished by 11.30pm.
"The area was cordoned because it is a military base. Only individuals concerned with the matter were granted entry," he said. Saj Ahmad, a London-based aviation analyst, said: "It must be noted that the airplane in question was just three years old and that the Boeing 747-400F is one of the safest jets ever built with an excellent record".
