Why Did An Azerbaijani Plane Crash in Kazakhstan?

On December 12th, an Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan during an attempted landing. Out of the 67 people onboard, 38 lost their lives. The plane, an Embraer 190 operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, was headed from Baku to Grozny, Russia. Experts suggest that Russian air defense systems might have hit the plane, diverting it to Aktau, Kazakhstan. The plane was initially diverted due to unknown reasons. It flew east across the Caspian Sea, trying to land in Aktau. Cellphone footage shows the aircraft making a steep descent before crashing and bursting into flames. Rescuers managed to save 29 passengers, who were rushed to hospitals. Azerbaijan declared a national day of mourning. Flags were flown at half-staff, and traffic halted at noon. President Ilham Aliyev mentioned that bad weather forced the plane off its original path.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia are all investigating the crash. Embraer has offered assistance to authorities. Russian civil aviation authorities hinted that a bird strike caused the emergency. However, an Azerbaijani lawmaker claimed the plane was shot down over Grozny. Some experts suggest that damage to the plane’s tail indicates it was hit by a surface-to-air missile, possibly from Russian air defense systems. The plane faced intense GPS jamming, making it hard to track its flight path. A Russian expert noted that the damage to the crashed plane’s tail matches shrapnel from a Russian Pantsyr-S1 system. No clear cause has been officially confirmed. Officials from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia have avoided speculating on the crash’s cause, awaiting investigative results.

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