Emirati investigators say a UPS cargo plane that crashed in Dubai shortly after takeoff on Friday had smoke in the cockpit and was struggling to maintain altitude before the accident.
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said in a preliminary report Sunday the Boeing 747-400's crew was trying to return to Dubai's main airport when the accident occurred.
It says the plane was too high on the approach and passed over the airfield before making a right turn. It rapidly lost altitude before crashing in an unpopulated area about 50 minutes after takeoff.
The GCAA says a U.S. National Transportation Safety Board team is scheduled to arrive Sunday to help with the probe.