Why did an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan? What we know Aviation News

Azerbaijan observes a day of mourning after the passenger airplane of a neighborhood airline crashed on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

Authorities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia are investigating Wednesday morning’s emergency touchdown that killed a minimum of 38 folks.

Here is what we all know concerning the crash.

The place did the passenger airplane crash?

The airplane crashed about 3 km (1.8 miles) from town of Aktau in Kazakhstan, on the japanese shore of the Caspian Sea.

It went from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the capital of the Chechnya area in southern Russia.

Who was on board?

The Embraer 190 plane, flight quantity J2-8243, was carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew members.

Based on Kazakh officers, the folks on board have been residents of 4 completely different nations:

• 42 Azerbaijani residents
• 16 Russian residents
• 6 Kazakh residents
• 3 Kyrgyz residents

What number of of them survived?

There are 32 survivors, together with two youngsters, who’ve been admitted to hospital, with many in a vital situation. Many have been pulled from the wreckage, whereas some, in response to rescuers and video footage, crawled in blood.

Kazakhstan’s deputy prime minister, Kanat Bozumbayev, introduced that 38 folks had died.

Russian information company Interfax quoted emergency employees on the scene as saying each pilots, in response to a preliminary evaluation, died within the crash.

Why did the airplane crash?

The crash was reportedly as a consequence of an “emergency scenario” on board following a chook strike, Russia’s aviation watchdog stated on Telegram.

The airplane needed to divert from its authentic route as a consequence of heavy fog in Grozny, its meant vacation spot, and make an emergency touchdown.

Business aviation monitoring web sites recorded the flight touring north alongside its scheduled route on the West Coast earlier than it disappeared. It later reappeared on the east coast, circling close to Aktau Airport earlier than crashing.

“Based on preliminary studies, the airplane requested to land at an alternate airport earlier than the crash… as a consequence of heavy fog in Grozny,” Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova reported from Moscow.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev stated in a press release that “in response to the knowledge supplied to me, the airplane of the AZAL airline, which was flying on the route Baku-Grozny, modified course as a consequence of of worsening climate situations and commenced to move in the direction of Aktau airport, the place the accident occurred throughout touchdown.

The closest Russian airport, Makhachkala, was closed earlier within the day as a consequence of drone exercise.

Based on a web based publication by FlightRadar24, heavy GPS jamming within the area, which has been linked to previous incidents, might have additional sophisticated navigation and contributed to the crash.

Aliyev acknowledged that there have been a number of theories about what may need triggered the crash, however cautioned towards hypothesis.

“There are movies of the airplane crash out there within the media and on social networks, and everybody can see them. Nonetheless, the explanations for the accident aren’t but recognized to us,” the Azerbaijani president stated. “There are a number of theories, however I believe it’s untimely to debate them.”

What is the newest on the bottom?

The emergency companies have responded actively to the scenario.

Firefighters put out the hearth brought on by the crash, whereas 150 emergency employees and medical groups, together with specialist medical doctors who arrived from Astana, are treating the injured.

Azerbaijan Airways stated it should droop all flights between Baku and Grozny, in addition to Baku and Makhachkala till the investigation is concluded.

The airline has additionally arrange a hotline for the passengers’ family members and posted all their names on its social media pages.

Aliyev additionally signed a decree declaring December 26 a day of mourning within the nation. Azerbaijan’s president, who was flying to Russia for a summit on the time, stated he was knowledgeable of the crash whereas within the air.

“I instantly gave directions for the airplane to return to Baku,” Aliyev stated in a press release issued by his workplace.

What analysis is being finished?

Kazakh, Azerbaijani and Russian authorities stated they have been investigating the crash.

“An investigative staff, led by the Deputy Prosecutor Basic of Azerbaijan, has been despatched to Kazakhstan and is working on the accident web site,” Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor Basic’s Workplace stated in a press release.

Azerbaijan’s state information company Azertac stated the staff despatched to Aktau for an “on-site investigation” additionally included Azerbaijan’s minister of emergency conditions and the vice chairman of Azerbaijan Airways. Azertac stated the airplane’s black field, a flight recorder that investigators use to find out the causes of aviation accidents, had been discovered.

Aliyev, in his assertion, stated {that a} “felony case” had been opened and that the Azerbaijani public could be “recurrently knowledgeable” concerning the progress of the investigation.

Kazakhstan has shaped a authorities fee to look into the reason for the catastrophe and be sure that the households of the useless and injured obtain the assistance they want.

Investigations give attention to doable technical issues and the closure of close by airspace.

Embraer, the Brazilian producer of the airplane, has expressed its willingness to assist with inquiries.