A global inquiry has been initiated following the tragic crash of an Embraer 190 passenger jet in Kazakhstan, which resulted in the death of 38 individuals, while 29 others miraculously survived.
The Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243, en route from Baku to Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya, met its unfortunate fate a few kilometers short of Aktau airport. This incident marks the first fatal accident involving a passenger jet worldwide in 2024.
According to The Independent, unverified video footage of the crash depicted the aircraft descending with apparent control issues before making a catastrophic impact with the ground, subsequently bursting into flames. Authorities confirmed that children were among the survivors receiving treatment at a nearby hospital. Social media platforms were flooded with videos showing survivors pulling their fellow passengers away from the wreckage.
Russia's aviation watchdog suggested that a bird collision may have prompted the pilot to alter the landing site. However, this theory was met with skepticism as Reuters news agency pointed out that the plane had deviated from a region in Russia that Moscow had recently fortified against Ukrainian drone attacks. Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory, expressed doubts about the bird strike theory, stating, "You can lose control of the plane, but you don't fly wildly off course as a consequence."
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev urged caution in speculating about the cause of the crash, attributing the flight's diversion to adverse weather conditions in Grozny. "The information provided to me is that the plane changed its course between Baku and Grozny due to worsening weather conditions and headed to Aktau airport, where it crashed upon landing," Aliyev said.
Commercial aviation-tracking websites tracked the flight as it veered north along the west coast before disappearing from radar. It later reappeared on the east coast, circling near Aktau airport before crashing into the beach. Kazakh officials reported that the passengers on board included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyzstan nationals, with five of the 67 being crew members.
The plane's black box, a crucial component in determining the cause of a crash, has been recovered, as reported by Transport prosecutor Timur Suleimenov. President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences, while President Aliyev decided to cut short his visit to Russia, where he was scheduled to attend a summit. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, "Unfortunately, Azerbaijan's President Aliyev was forced to leave St Petersburg [where he had a summit]. Putin has already called him and expressed his condolences in connection with the crash of the Azerbaijani plane in Aktau."
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, also expressed his condolences, noting that some of the survivors being treated in the hospital were in a critical condition. He assured that prayers were being offered for their recovery.
The crash is currently under investigation by Kazakhstani, Azerbaijani, and Russian authorities. Embraer, the aircraft manufacturer, stated that it is "ready to assist all relevant authorities." In the wake of the tragic incident, Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended all its flights from Baku to Russia's Chechnya until the conclusion of the investigation, as reported by Russias state TASS news agency.
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