Crash in Kazakhstan: 38 passengers perished in what appears to be external damage to the plane

An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed this morning (Wednesday) near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan, with 67 passengers and crew on board. According to official reports, 38 people died in the disaster, while 29 others, including three children, were evacuated to area hospitals.

The Embraer 190 model plane, which performed flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, had to make an emergency landing in Aktau due to heavy fog at the original destination. The crash occurred at 06:28 GMT, about three kilometers from the airport, after the plane’s crew requested an emergency landing.

The examination of the wreckage of the plane raises significant questions: entrance holes on the left side and exit holes on the right side were found in the body of the plane, without extensive signs of damage around them. In addition, a life jacket was found pierced by shrapnel before the crash. The incident occurred at the same time as a Ukrainian drone attack on Grozny. These findings raise the suspicion that the plane was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire fired during an attempt to deal with the infiltration of Ukrainian drones into the area.

Accident investigators are focusing on several possible causes of the crash, including strong GPS jamming recorded before the crash that affected the accuracy of the ADS-B system transmissions, a possible bird strike, or a technical failure. In response to the incident, Azerbaijan Airlines suspended all its flights to Grozny and Makhachkala until the investigation is completed.

An intergovernmental committee was established to investigate the incident and to assist the families of the victims. The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, expressed his condolences to the families of the dead and wounded. The disaster highlighted safety concerns regarding flight paths, emergency procedures, and the impact of GPS jamming on civil aviation.

 

There are growing indications that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed this morning might have been brought down by some kind of AD fire.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Grozny was ongoing while the flight was airborne. https://t.co/z2GEyB3jSA pic.twitter.com/3yhhFyzewp

— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) December 25, 2024

 

All the videos of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight showing the damage show holes in the wreckage have entry holes on the port side and exit holes on the starboard side, likely with a slight angle from below. pic.twitter.com/z4NxEapLWd

— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) December 25, 2024