Former pilot on possible causes of AZAL plane crash

Former military pilot, reserve lieutenant colonel Mirza Faradjev commented on the possible causes of today's crash of an AZAL plane in Aktau, which was operating the Baku-Grozny flight.

"The plane was descending at a very low altitude and made a hard landing. In the video, you can see how the plane hit the ground. There might have been problems with one of the engines. The plane had already extended its landing gear, which means it was preparing to land," said the former pilot.

However, for a more accurate analysis, it is necessary to have all the data on altitude and distance to the airport. "For the landing to begin, the plane must be at an altitude of at least 500 meters," Faradjev said.

Regarding the preliminary cause of a bird strike, the pilot did not rule out the possibility that birds could have entered the engine. The expert considers the version that foggy weather caused the accident to be unlikely. "Even if there was fog, the video footage shows that a distance of 100 meters was visible. Furthermore, planes are equipped with a device that shows the distance to the airfield in foggy conditions," Faradjev said.