An Embraer passenger jet operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (J2-8243) crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, December 25, killing 35 people and leaving 32 others injured.
The aircraft, which had been en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members.
Kazakhstan’s emergency services confirmed that 32 survivors, including two children, were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Rescue teams also began recovering the bodies of those who lost their lives.
Emergency and Possible Cause
According to Russia’s aviation watchdog, the crash may have been caused by a bird strike, which prompted the aircraft’s commander to divert from its original route and attempt an emergency landing.
The plane, an Embraer 190 jet, veered off course, flying across the Caspian Sea and crashing approximately three kilometers from Aktau Airport.
Video footage of the incident, verified by authorities, showed the plane descending rapidly before exploding upon impact with the shoreline. Flames and thick black smoke engulfed the crash site as bloodied passengers staggered from the remaining fuselage.
Mysterious Route Change
The flight’s diversion has raised questions, as the plane flew hundreds of miles off its planned path. Officials have not clarified why the jet crossed the Caspian Sea, but the incident occurred shortly after drone strikes in southern Russia disrupted operations at nearby airports.
Commercial flight tracking data indicated the plane was flying its scheduled route along the Caspian’s western shore before disappearing from radar. It reappeared circling near Aktau Airport on the eastern coast before the crash.
Rescue and Investigation
Kazakhstan’s emergencies ministry stated that the fire at the crash site was extinguished shortly after the incident. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the possibility of a mechanical failure exacerbated by the reported bird strike.
Azerbaijan Airlines extended condolences to the victims’ families and confirmed the jet’s emergency diversion. The airline pledged to cooperate fully with investigators.
The tragedy has brought renewed attention to aviation safety measures and the challenges posed by bird strikes and other in-flight emergencies.