Iranian pilots, patrolling their border 15 km to the east, described the resulting scene as a "rat shoot".

He was Khatami, the Iranian pilot: I hadn't seen him in native dress before.

They were the Iranian pilots, changed and ready and presumably waiting for Klaus.

The two Iranian pilots didn't fit into any plan for a Lockerbie operation.

In the past, Iranian pilots have heeded such warnings, the officials said.

In this case, however, the Iranian pilot continued to approach the patrol plane.

With the wreckage on board, the Iranian pilots wouldn't want to stay on the ground any longer than was absolutely necessary.

In his bare-bones report, he laid considerable blame on the Iranian pilot.

But few have been seen in action because Iranian pilots lack the skill to fly them and ground crews to maintain them.

The Iranian pilots acknowledged the warning and turned away.