AKTAU, Kazakhstan. Survivors of the Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, which tragically crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, have revealed harrowing details about their experience. The crash, which claimed the lives of at least 38 people and left 29 others injured, occurred after the flight was diverted from its original destination of Grozny, southern Russia, due to adverse weather conditions and regional conflict risks.
Two passengers and a flight attendant told Reuters that loud bangs were heard before the Embraer jet’s fiery crash landing. Subhonkul Rakhimov, one of the survivors, recounted from his hospital bed: “After the bang… I thought the plane was going to fall apart. It was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way. It was as if it was drunk—not the same plane anymore.”
Another survivor, passenger Vafa Shabanova, corroborated Rakhimov’s account, adding that she distinctly heard two loud bangs. “I was very scared,” she said, further explaining that a flight attendant directed her to move to the back of the aircraft shortly after the noise.
Flight attendant Zulfugar Asadov also described the sequence of events, saying the initial landing attempt in Grozny was denied due to fog. “The pilot had just lifted the plane up when I heard a bang from the left wing. There were three bangs,” Asadov stated. He added that something struck his arm during the incident, and the cabin lost pressure, forcing the crew to prepare for an emergency landing.
Asadov disclosed that the captain had been advised to attempt a sea landing but instead chose to head for Aktau for a ground landing. “He warned that there would be a hard landing and asked us to prepare the passengers,” Asadov shared.
Footage taken by passengers before the crash showed oxygen masks deployed and individuals wearing life vests. The aftermath revealed bloodied and bruised survivors climbing out of the wreckage, with silence turning into the groaning of the injured, according to Rakhimov.
Investigations and Allegations
Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended several flights to Russian cities and issued a statement suggesting that “physical and technical external interference” caused the crash. However, the airline stopped short of providing further details.
Four sources close to Azerbaijan’s preliminary investigation alleged that the crash may have been caused by Russian air defenses mistakenly shooting down the plane. Russian officials have neither confirmed nor denied the reports, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating, “We need to wait for the official investigation to conclude before making any assessments.”
Russia’s aviation watchdog noted that the flight diverted to Aktau after being denied landing in Grozny due to dense fog and a local alert over Ukrainian drones. It also reported that other nearby airports had been suggested to the pilot before the decision to proceed to Kazakhstan.
A Civilian Flight Amid a War Zone
The tragedy highlights the growing risks to civil aviation in regions impacted by ongoing drone warfare. Grozny, located over 850 km (530 miles) from Ukraine’s front lines, remains a frequent target of Ukrainian drone strikes. Russian air defenses and advanced electronic jamming systems, intended to counter such threats, may have inadvertently contributed to the disaster.
Andrew Nicholson, CEO of Osprey Flight Solutions, warned of the dangers of operating civilian flights in conflict zones. “The second you stick civilian aircraft in that same airspace, you massively increase the risk, particularly when a drone attack is ongoing and air defense activity is ongoing, as was the case in this scenario,” he explained.
The crash draws comparisons to other aviation disasters involving military conflict, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014 by a Russian BUK missile system and Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in 2020, mistakenly shot down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Kazakh and Azerbaijani authorities, along with Russia’s aviation body, are collaborating to investigate the tragedy, which underscores the complex risks of operating passenger aircraft in regions embroiled in geopolitical tensions.
Exclusive by Reuters
