Tengrinews.kz - Political analyst Gaziz Abishev commented on the information regarding the transfer of the black boxes from the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed near Aktau to CENIPA in Brazil.
He recalled the words of Deputy Prime Minister Bozumbayev, stating that there was no pressure on the Kazakh commission investigating the crash of the Azerbaijani plane.
"However, it is clear that the situation is not simple. This is evident from the rhetoric of the Azerbaijani leadership. It would not be like this if there were full mutual understanding between Baku and Moscow. Most likely, political pressure is being exerted on Kazakhstan as well, with the aim of forcing it to make certain concessions. In particular, Russia actively promoted the idea of transferring the black boxes to the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) of the CIS," said Abishev.
In his opinion, the decision made by the Kazakh leadership to transfer the black boxes of the crashed plane to the Brazilian Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) is "a principled step aimed at neutralizing pressure and ensuring an impartial decryption that inspires trust within the international community."
"It seems that President Tokayev, who managed to speak with Presidents Aliyev and Putin, and is acting as an unbiased mediator in the tough dispute between Russia and Azerbaijan, taking responsibility for an objective investigation, has concluded that such a decision is the most optimal. And it will be appreciated by all parties and the international community," said Gaziz Abishev.
Baku-Grozny plane crash near Aktau: what happened?
Azerbaijan Airlines plane, flying from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Grozny (Russia), crashed three kilometers from Aktau at 11:30 AM local time on December 25. The passenger flight was unable to land in Grozny due to heavy fog, first it was redirected to Makhachkala, and then to Aktau.
The official cause of the incident is still unknown. The media are spreading various theories, including a bird getting into the plane's engine, as well as an oxygen tank exploding in the cabin. The black box was found in the evening of the same day, now experts will have to decipher its data.
Investigation
An interdepartmental investigative task force has been created under the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office of Kazakhstan. It includes specialists from the transport prosecutor's office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The investigation is under the special control of the Prosecutor General and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Embraer specialists have flown to Kazakhstan.
How many people were 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.
Azerbaijan Airlines also published a full list of passengers.
What is known about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed near Aktau?
The aircraft that crashed near Aktau was an Embraer ERJ-190, a twin-engine jet widely used for short and medium-haul flights. The aircraft are manufactured by a Brazilian company. The ERJ-190 (E190) is designed to carry between 96 and 114 passengers, depending on the cabin configuration. These aircraft can fly up to 4500 kilometers.
