An international investigation has been launched into the crash of an Embraer 190 passenger jet in Kazakhstan, which resulted in the deaths of 38 people and left 29 survivors.
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243 was en route from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya, when it crash-landed at Aktau airport.
Unverified video footage of the incident shows the aircraft descending, seemingly experiencing control issues, and ultimately crashing and bursting into flames.
Authorities reported that children were among the survivors receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
Several videos posted on social media depict survivors assisting fellow passengers away from the wreckage.
According to Russia’s aviation watchdog, a preliminary investigation suggests that the pilot decided to change the landing site following “a collision with birds.”
Reuters reported that the aircraft had veered away from a region in Russia that Moscow has recently fortified against Ukrainian drone strikes.
The news agency cited Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at AeroDynamic Advisory, who expressed skepticism about a bird strike being the cause.
“You might lose control of the plane, but it wouldn’t result in such a drastic deviation from its course,” he stated.
Nonetheless, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cautioned against premature speculation regarding the crash’s cause, noting that adverse weather conditions in Grozny had necessitated the flight’s diversion.
President Aliyev explained: “The information I have received indicates that the plane altered its route between Baku and Grozny due to deteriorating weather and attempted to land at Aktau airport, where it ultimately crashed.”
Commercial aviation-tracking websites monitored the flight as it traveled north along its scheduled route on the west coast before it vanished. It later reappeared on the east coast, where it circled near Aktau airport before crashing onto the beach.
Kazakh officials reported that the passengers included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyzstan nationals. Among the 67 individuals on board, five were crew members.
Timur Suleimenov, the transport prosecutor, informed during a briefing that the plane’s black box, which contains crucial flight data to help determine the cause of the crash, had been located, according to Interfax.
President Vladimir Putin extended his condolences, while President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan decided to return home from Russia, where he had been scheduled to attend a summit.
“Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev had to abruptly leave St. Petersburg, where he was attending a summit, following the crash of an Azerbaijani plane in Aktau,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced. “President Putin has already reached out to express his condolences.”
“We extend our deepest sympathies to those who have lost loved ones in this tragic plane crash and wish a swift recovery to all survivors.”
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, also conveyed his condolences in a statement, noting that some of the injured are in critical condition and that prayers are being offered for their recovery.
Authorities from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia are jointly investigating the crash. Embraer has stated that it is “ready to assist all relevant authorities.”
Azerbaijan Airlines has halted all flights from Baku to Russia’s Chechnya pending the completion of an investigation, according to a report by Russia’s state TASS news agency.
Additional reporting by various agencies.
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