Tengrinews.kz - The press service of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev revealed details of a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau on December 25.
During the call, Putin expressed his condolences regarding the tragedy. He apologized for the incident, extended heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
"President Ilham Aliyev noted that the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane, while in Russian airspace, was subjected to external physical and technical interference, lost all control, and was redirected to the Kazakh city of Aktau. The aircraft was able to make an emergency landing solely due to the courage and professionalism of the pilots. The president emphasized that the fuselage of the plane bore numerous perforations, and both passengers and crew members sustained injuries from foreign objects that penetrated the aircraft’s exterior and entered the cabin. Testimonies from surviving flight attendants and passengers confirm the external physical and technical interference," the statement read.
The two leaders discussed the need for a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy and holding those responsible accountable. President Aliyev added that Azerbaijan has established a commission of international experts to investigate the causes of the crash, and the commission has already commenced its work.
Both presidents stressed that the investigation would be conducted transparently, and the public would be regularly informed about its progress.
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 A.M. 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.
