A crash occurred on December 25, 2024, while an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft was on its way from Baku to Grozny, killing 38 people and leaving 29 survivors. The incident has instituted an international investigation that shall provide an explanation of the events leading to the tragedy.
Flight Information and Changes
The Embraer 190, boarding 62 passengers and five crew members, took off from Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan, towards Kadyrov Grozny International Airport in Chechnya, Russia.
Due to weather conditions in Grozny, the flight was redirected to Aktau International Airport in Kazakhstan.
The plane reported an emergency some 25 minutes before landing. A few minutes later, it went down around 1.8 miles west of the Aktau airport.
Casualties and Rescue Efforts
Reports from Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry indicate that from the 67 victims of the ill-fated flight, 38 have been declared dead, including both pilots. Out of the 29 survivors, they are currently in hospitals in Aktau.
Seven of the seven require critical treatment. The passengers were citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Preliminary Investigation on Possible Causes
Sources say that it is likely the plane suffered a bird strike on board, putting it in a state of emergency. The Federal Agency for Air Transport in Russia, Rosaviatsia, said early reports pointed towards a bird strike as one of the possible causes.
However, some experts in that field have leaned toward skepticism in terms of a bird strike being responsible for this.
They included the fact that modern planes are designed in such a way so as to be sustained in case of bird strikes and not affect their general performance.
There is speculation about the possibility of some interference with the aircraft GPS in the region, which could have affected navigation systems. The area has had incidents of GPS jamming, compromising flight safety.
Amid the prevailing geopolitical tensions and drone strike incidents in southern Russia, some experts are not ruling out the possibility of the crash having been caused by an external factor such as an anti aircraft missile strike.
This speculation comes in the face of visible perforations on the aircraft’s tail yet no circumstantial evidence has surfaced in support of this theory.
An official response and investigations
December 26 was declared a national day of mourning by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who noted that a thorough investigation was necessary to determine the cause of the crash.
The president expressed deep sorrow and offered condolences to the families of the victims. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov extended condolences and pledged support.
Commissions of inquiry have been formed in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to investigate the catastrophe. The Kazakh commission is led by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev; Emergencies Minister Chingis Arinov is at the crash site.
The Azerbaijani Commission is headed by Prime Minister Ali Asadov, who has sent a group of officials, including the Minister of Emergency Situations and the Vice President of Azerbaijan Airlines, to Aktau to conduct an on-site investigation.
Airline and operator details
The aircraft was an Embraer E190AR, registered as 4K-AZ65, manufactured in 2013. Its last full technical inspection was on October 18, 2024.
Meanwhile, flights by Azerbaijan Airlines-from Grozny to Baku and Makhachkala-have been grounded pending the continuing investigation, while other flights are ongoing on schedule.
While the investigation is in its infancy, authorities are painstakingly focusing on any and all possible causes, including mechanical failure, environmental conditions, and other external factors that may have interfered with the operation of the aircraft.
The aviation fraternity and the public are keenly waiting for the investigation’s verdict on the cause of this tragedy.
