AZAL Plane Crash: Kazakhstan Enters Second Phase of Investigation, Says Transport Minister

Transport Minister Marat Karabayev has provided an update on the investigation into the crash of the Azerbaijani Embraer-190 aircraft in Aqtau, Orda.kz reports.

According to Karabayev, the investigation is progressing in stages, and experts are now analyzing the collected evidence.

Kazakhstan is a country that conducts an investigation. Any investigation is divided into several stages. The first stage is the collection of relevant materials. It is completed. The second stage is when the collected materials are examined. We are currently at the research stage,
Karabayev explained in the corridors of the Senate.

He added that during this stage, Kazakhstan's specialists, alongside international experts, including representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), have already visited Baku, Grozny, and Rostov-on-Don.

The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer-190, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Aqtau Airport on December 25, 2024. Of the 69 people on board, 29 survived. 

Upon examining the wreckage, experts discovered extensive damage caused by foreign objects. The Azerbaijani side believes that fragments from Russian Pantsir-C anti-aircraft missiles penetrated the fuselage and caused the crash. Azerbaijan previously announced that it was preparing to submit the case to an international court.

Meanwhile, a separate investigation is being conducted in Russia.

Original Author: Zhadra Zhulmukhametova