Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) reported.
The Embraer 190 aircraft issued an emergency signal while flying over the Caspian Sea, 11 minutes ahead of its scheduled departure.
The crash occurred near Aktau Airport at 6:28 a.m. local time, a few kilometers from the runway. Rescue efforts are underway.
Onboard were 67 individuals, including 62 passengers and five crew members, Azerbaijan Airlines confirmed on X. Survival reports indicate 28 individuals were rescued.
Passengers included 37 Azerbaijani nationals, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz, according to local media. Investigations into their conditions continue.
Preliminary findings point to a bird strike as the cause, Xinhua News Agency reported. However, further investigations aim to confirm these details.
Rescue teams, consisting of 52 personnel and 11 specialized units, responded swiftly to extinguish the fire engulfing the wrecked aircraft.
Designed for 96-114 passengers, the Embraer 190 has a range of 4,500 km. Its capabilities are under scrutiny in light of this incident.
Flight tracking data revealed the plane flew steadily over the Caspian Sea before reaching Russian airspace. Problems arose near its destination.
While circling Chechnya’s airport, the aircraft requested an emergency landing. Minutes later, the crash occurred, raising questions about operational issues.
FlightRadar24 indicated GPS jamming interfered with navigation, leading to erroneous ADS-B data transmission. This may have impacted the pilot’s response.
Local authorities, alongside Azerbaijan Airlines, promised detailed investigations to uncover all contributing factors to this tragic event.
The aviation community awaits updates as emergency services work tirelessly to assist survivors and understand the crash dynamics.
Azerbaijan Airlines stated its commitment to transparency, vowing to provide further details as they emerge.