Almaty, March 20 (NationPress) Kazakhstan is poised to conclude its technical examination of the Azerbaijan Airlines crash within the next few months, according to a report from the Kazinform news agency, as stated by Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev.

The inquiry is now in the phase of finalizing its findings, with participation from an international commission. Preliminary reports have been submitted by equipment manufacturers, including GPS trackers, navigation systems, and the aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, Bozumbayev noted.

The commission comprises representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, alongside experts from the aircraft manufacturer and international aviation bodies, Bozumbayev added, as reported by Xinhua.

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, traveling from Baku to Grozny, tragically crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25, 2024, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members.

The crash resulted in 38 fatalities, with 29 individuals saved, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, acknowledging that the incident occurred within Russia’s airspace, and extended his sympathy to the victims' families.

In a statement from the Kremlin’s press office dated December 28, 2024, it was reported that Putin conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families affected and wished a swift recovery to the injured.

Both Russia and Ukraine have exchanged accusations regarding the plane crash. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority, claimed that Ukrainian military drones were conducting attacks on civilian infrastructure at the time of the incident, noting that the plane had made two unsuccessful landing attempts.

Ukraine, on the other hand, has maintained that Russia is to blame, asserting that Russia should be held accountable for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft.

The aircraft, designated flight J2-8243, met its fate near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan.

Reports from Kazakh media indicated that among the passengers were 37 citizens from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan.

The initial assessment suggested that the tragic event may have been caused by a bird strike.

The aircraft departed from Baku 11 minutes ahead of schedule and issued an emergency signal while flying over the Caspian Sea.

Azerbaijani media stated that the aircraft could not secure landing clearance in Grozny due to fog, prompting a diversion to Makhachkala and subsequently to Aktau.

Flight tracking applications indicated that the plane was navigating over the Caspian Sea toward its intended destination in Chechnya. As it crossed into Russian airspace, it began circling the airport before requesting an emergency landing.

At approximately 6:28 a.m. local time, the aircraft crashed just a few kilometers from the airport.

According to FlightRadar24, the aircraft experienced significant GPS jamming, leading to erroneous ADS-B data transmission.