The Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan reacted to the report of the Kazakh side on the crash of AZAL aircraft on 25 December, published on Tuesday 4 February.
The Azerbaijani Transport Ministry drew attention to the following facts reflected in the report:
The aircraft "from the beginning of the flight on the section of the route to Grozny was in a fully airworthy condition", "both engines of the aircraft worked without technical problems until the moment of the accident". These data, including the operation of the control systems, were confirmed using FDR (Flight Data Recorder) data.
"While flying in the airspace of the Russian Federation, including over Grozny airport, the aircraft lost GPS signals", the Azerbaijani ministry stresses.
Due to unfavourable weather conditions over Grozny, the aircraft was unable to make a second landing approach, after which the captain made a decision to return to Baku. "After making this decision over Grozny, two external sounds were recorded in the CVR (CVR - Cockpit Voice Recorder) with an interval of 24 seconds.
A comparison of the CVR and FDR data showed that 4 seconds after the first external sound the 3rd hydraulic system failed, 6 seconds later the 1st hydraulic system failed, and 21 seconds later the 2nd hydraulic system failed.
The fuselage, left wing and stvbilisers were found to have numerous blind and through damage, recorded on photos and video, the report further said.
According to the preliminary report, "the damage found in the fuselage was caused by external objects." "The preliminary report does not contain information about the presence of any facts indicating the collision of the aircraft with birds," the Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan notes.
Foreign objects found in the fuselage will be subjected to additional expertise.
At 05:13:32 the main control systems of the aircraft failed, and at 05:21:42 the dispatcher informed about the operation "Cover" - that is, after the damage to the aircraft.
There is no information in the preliminary report about the oxygen tank explosion.
"In accordance with the requirements of the ICAO Chicago Convention, after the preliminary report, a final report on the causes of the crash must be prepared within one year from the date of the accident. Work on the preparation of the final report has already been started by the Republic of Kazakhstan and other states involved in the investigation," the Azerbaijani Transport Ministry said in its conclusion.
The plane was shot down by the Russian Pantsir-S air defence system, Reuters reported on 4 February, citing a source in the Azerbaijani government.
Politics
-
The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan has published a preliminary report on the investigation of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer-190 aircraft, which occurred on December 25, 2024, near Aktau. The report is publicly available on the ministry's official website.
-
Under the gray, expansive skies of Brussels, a beacon of administrative initiative at the European Commission sparked to life this month, heralding a renewed vigor in the European Union’s diplomatic outreach. The newly established Directorate General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST) debuted on February 1st, setting a new course for EU interaction with its eastern neighbors and potential new members.
-
Journalist Nargiz Abaslamova, held in Baku's Detention Center No. 1, was subjected to violence by a guard. While passing by the cell of her colleague Sevinj Vagifgizi, Abaslamova tried to greet her, reported on Abzas Media's Facebook page. However, guard Aygul Babaeva forcibly dragged Abaslamova away and deeply scratched the journalist's arm. Abaslamova stated that this is not the first time the mentioned guard has used force and been rude to journalists. A few days ago, Babaeva also used force against Sevinj Vagifgizi.
-
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters what the Trump Administration found problematic in the activities of USAID. She listed programs that USAID had funded:
Leave a review