Azerbaijan Airlines Flight Crashes Near Aktau, Kazakhstan: 28 Survivors Reported
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Almaty, Dec 25 (NationPress) A passenger aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines from Baku to Grozny crashed in proximity to the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, as stated by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES).
The Embraer 190 plane, designated with flight number J2-8243, went down near Aktau Airport. The ministry confirmed that there are 28 survivors from the incident, and rescue operations are currently in progress.
There were a total of 67 individuals on board, consisting of 62 passengers and five crew members, as per the information released by Azerbaijan Airlines on X.
Reports from Kazakh media indicate that the passengers included 37 citizens from Azerbaijan, 16 from Russia, six from Kazakhstan, and three from Kyrgyzstan.
The preliminary investigation suggests that a bird strike may have caused the tragic event, according to Xinhua news agency.
The MES mobilized 52 personnel and 11 units of equipment to the crash site, where the aircraft was discovered to be ablaze.
The Embraer 190 is capable of accommodating between 96 and 114 passengers, depending on its interior layout. It has a maximum flight range of 4,500 km.
Flight records from FlightAware indicate that the aircraft took off from Baku 11 minutes ahead of schedule. While traversing the Caspian Sea, it signaled an emergency.
Local Azerbaijani reports state that the aircraft was denied landing clearance in Grozny due to fog, prompting a diversion to Makhachkala and subsequently to Aktau.
Flight tracking applications showed the aircraft navigating over the Caspian Sea, en route to its destination in Chechnya. Upon entering Russian airspace, it began circling the airport before issuing a request for emergency landing.
At 6:28 am local time, the plane crashed just a few kilometers from the airport.
According to FlightRadar24, the aircraft experienced strong GPS jamming, resulting in the transmission of inaccurate ADS-B data.
Azerbaijan Airlines has committed to providing further updates, while local authorities and emergency services continue their investigations into the crash.
