Tengrinews.kz - The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Aktau experienced a failure in its control systems, including the elevator and ailerons. This information was shared by Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport, Marat Karabayev, during a briefing in the Mangystau region.
According to the minister, the first distress signal from the aircraft was received at 10:43 A.M.
"The Embraer aircraft operating flight No. 8243 was diverting to an alternate airport from Grozny. Before entering Kazakhstan's airspace, the plane’s control systems, including the elevator and ailerons, failed," Karabayev stated.
He added that the crew was unable to maintain a stable course or altitude.
"Rostov air traffic control informed us that after reviewing weather data for Makhachkala and Baku, the crew decided to divert to Aktau. At 10:53 A.M., Rostov’s flight supervisor relayed additional information to Aktau tower that an oxygen cylinder had exploded in the passenger cabin, causing passengers to lose consciousness, and requested emergency medical services upon landing. Immediately, the "KazAeroNavigatsiya" flight operations supervisor alerted all emergency services, including the fire brigade and medical personnel, about the imminent arrival of the distressed aircraft in Aktau. Their response was swift," the minister explained.
Karabayev concluded by noting that all emergency services at Aktau Airport were ready to receive the aircraft before it entered Kazakhstan's airspace.
Baku-Grozny plane crash near Aktau: What happened?
On December 25, a passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines, flight AHY8243, crashed near Aktau.
The plane took off at 08:49 A.M. Astana time from Baku airport, 11 minutes earlier than scheduled. Due to thick fog in Grozny, the plane was first rerouted to Makhachkala, and then to Aktau. Flying over the Caspian Sea, the crew gave the signal "emergency" (squawk 7700). The pilots requested an emergency landing, the airport was preparing to accept the aircraft, but at 11:30 A.M. the plane crashed 3 kilometers from the airport.
The official cause of the incident remains unknown. Various theories are circulating in the media, including a bird strike in the aircraft's engine or an oxygen cylinder explosion in the cabin. The black box was recovered the same evening, and experts will now work on decoding its data.
Investigation
An interdepartmental investigative and operational group has been formed under the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office of Kazakhstan. The group includes specialists from the Transport Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The investigation is under the personal supervision of the Prosecutor General and the Minister of Internal Affairs. Specialists from Embraer have flown to Kazakhstan.
Number of passengers on board
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, there were 69 people on board, including 5 crew members:
42 citizens of Azerbaijan;
16 citizens of Russia;
6 citizens of Kazakhstan;
3 citizens of Kyrgyzstan;
two unidentified women of unknown citizenship, one about 32 years old, the other about 40 years old
Among the survivors are citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. According to our information, as of now, 29 people survived the crash, but some are in critical condition. There are no Kazakhstani survivors.
List of deceased Kazakhstani citizens:
Sandibek Ekibaevich Tulesinov, born on 16.11.1988, originally from the Mangystau Region, resided in Zhanaozen.
Bauyrzhan Jumabaevich Jumagulov, born on 30.09.1985, originally from the Mangystau Region, resided in Zhanaozen.
Galina Rustambekovna Makhsudova, born on 12.01.1978, originally from the Mangystau Region, resided in Aktau.
Gaukhar Zhumagatovna Shaimerdenova, born on 17.07.1975, originally from Almaty, resided in Astana.
Eldar Zhumagat, son of Gaukhar Shaimerdenova, born on 23.08.2013, resided in Astana.
Salima Amanzholovna Jutaeva, born on 21.02.1995, originally from the Kostanay Region, resided in Karaganda.
Nine injured Russian citizens were sent to Moscow on the morning of December 26. Survivors of the incident from Azerbaijan will also be transported home. Among the survivors are two crew members—flight attendants Aidana Ragimli and Zulfuqar Asadov. Both are conscious. The flight attendant was previously shown in a video.
