Investigation Underway for Crashed Azerbaijani Airliner in Kazakhstan
In the aftermath of a tragic airliner accident on December 25, which claimed the lives of 38 individuals, Brazilian air force investigators are collaborating with teams from three other countries to delve into the circumstances surrounding the crash of an Azerbaijani aircraft in Kazakhstan. There are claims from Azerbaijan asserting that the airplane was mistakenly shot down by Russian forces during the incident.
The Embraer 190, a Brazilian-manufactured aircraft, was en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in the North Caucasus when it was redirected and subsequently crashed near the coastal city of Aktau. The airplane had already traversed several hundred kilometers across the Caspian Sea before making the attempted landing.
On Thursday, Brazil’s air force issued a statement confirming that nine international investigators have convened at their investigation and prevention center located in Brasilia. This team is working closely with Brazilian experts to analyze data retrieved from the aircraft’s black box and various investigative tools. Among the group are three investigators from Kazakhstan, along with six representatives from Azerbaijan and Russia.
The ongoing examination in Brasilia includes scrutinizing recordings from the cockpit, as well as flight data from the aircraft’s recorders, according to the Brazilian military. Currently, there is no set timeline for the release of any findings, as the final conclusions will come from Kazakh officials.
Brazil’s air force emphasized the urgency of the task, stating that the retrieval, acquisition, and validation of flight recorder data would be prioritized and performed as quickly as possible.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has claimed that the aircraft was struck by ground fire originating from Russia and asserted that electronic warfare made the jet uncontrollable. He accused the Russian government of attempting to downplay the matter in the days following the incident.
In a conciliatory gesture, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his regrets to President Aliyev, referring to the event as a “tragic incident.” However, he refrained from accepting liability for the crash.
Putin’s apology came amid escalating allegations that Russian air defense systems shot down the plane while responding to a Ukrainian drone attack near Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, which was the intended destination of the flight.
