Kazakhstan crash possibly due to ‘external physical and technical influences’

Preliminary results of the investigation into the crash of the passenger plane in Kazakhstan indicate “external physical and technical influence”, Azerbaijan Airlines reports. On Christmas Day, 38 people were killed in the emergency landing of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Aqtau, Kazakhstan. 29 passengers survived the crash.

What the airline means by this is not clear. An investigation into the cause of the emergency landing is still ongoing.

Hit by air defenses?

The Kremlin emphasizes that it is too early to draw conclusions until the investigation is completed, but aviation experts worldwide speculate that the plane came under fire from Russian air defenses.

Holes visible in the tail of the crashed aircraft are said to be comparable to damage caused by surface-to-air missiles. In addition, Grozny airport was reportedly hit by a Ukrainian drone attack that day.

Azerbaijani President Aliyev said today that the plane had diverted because bad weather was approaching. The Russian aviation authority says that the plane had diverted from its original destination in Chechnya due to fog and warnings of Ukrainian drones. The pilot was offered several airports, but he chose Aqtau. The authority also says that it is providing support to the Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities.

The Russian aviation authority said earlier that it assumes that a bird had ended up in the engine of the plane.

Images show the plane crashing and several passengers leaving the wreckage alive:

Azerbaijan Airlines is temporarily canceling flights to seven Russian cities following Wednesday’s crash. These are mainly destinations in the Caucasus and the Urals. Flights to six other cities, including Moscow and Saint Petersburg, are continuing as normal.

A flight from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to the Russian Mineralnye Vody had to turn back today when it was announced that the airspace was closed.

The Embraer 190 was en route from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny. Under unclear circumstances, the aircraft had to divert to the airport on the other side of the Caspian Sea.

Victims remembered

Azerbaijan is remembering the victims today: flags are flying at half-mast and at noon a moment of silence was announced with sirens, during which traffic also came to a standstill.

The occupants of the crashed aircraft were mainly from Azerbaijan, but there were also sixteen Russians, six Kazakhs and three Kyrgyz on board.

The nine Russian injured who survived the crash were transferred to Moscow yesterday for recovery.