On December 27, 2024, after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed in Kazakhstan, two surviving passengers and a crew member told Reuters that they heard a loud noise as the plane approached its original destination in southern Russia’s Grozny.
The J2-8243 flight from Azerbaijan Airlines diverted from southern Russia on Wednesday, December 25, ultimately crashing near Aktau in Kazakhstan. Moscow has previously used anti-aircraft systems in the region to deal with Ukrainian drone attacks. The accident resulted in at least 38 casualties, with 29 lucky survivors. Passenger Subhonkul Rakhimov was one of them.
Upon hearing the loud noise, Rakhimov said, “I thought the plane was going to fall apart.” He prayed, preparing for what he thought might be the end.
Another passenger, Vafa Shabanova, also heard the loud noise and expressed being very scared, followed by a second loud bang. The flight attendant later instructed her to move to the back of the plane.
Both passengers mentioned that after hearing the loud noise, there seemed to be an issue with the oxygen levels in the cabin.
Flight attendant Zulfugar Asadov stated that due to heavy fog, the plane couldn’t land in Grozny, so the pilot decided to fly around when they heard the loud noises from outside the plane.
Azerbaijan Airlines suspended several flights to Russian cities and stated that they believed the crash was caused by “external physical and technical interference,” but did not provide further details.
Four sources familiar with Azerbaijan’s initial investigation into the disaster told Reuters that the Russian anti-aircraft system mistakenly shot down the plane.
Russia stated that an official investigation must be completed to know the full details of what happened.
The plane, produced by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, was flying from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya in southern Russia, before diverting hundreds of miles off course and crash-landing across the Caspian Sea near Aktau.
The captain, upon being advised to land on the sea, decided to head towards Aktau for a ground landing. They were warned of a hard landing and asked to prepare the passengers.
Russian aviation regulators suggested that the flight may have encountered an emergency situation due to a bird strike and subsequently crashed on the opposite side of the Caspian Sea.
Footage taken by passengers before the crash showed them wearing oxygen masks and life jackets. Following the crash, passengers were seen climbing out of the plane with blood stains and injuries.
After the chaos following the crash and explosion, Rakhimov described a moment of silence before the sounds of injured people could be heard.
Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, this crash highlights the risks faced by civilian aviation during wartime, even when flights are hundreds of miles away from the conflict zone.
In 2020, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shot down Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752, resulting in the death of all 176 people on board.
In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian BUK missile system in eastern Ukraine, leading to the deaths of 298 passengers and crew members.
As drones become a major tool for both Russia and Ukraine in the conflict, Russia has been using advanced electronic interference equipment to disrupt Ukrainian drone positioning and communication systems, deploying a large number of air defense systems to shoot down drones.
Since Russia deployed thousands of troops to Ukraine in 2022, airlines have been rerouting flights away from Ukraine, with Russia closing its major southwest airports.
Russian aviation regulators stated on Friday that due to heavy fog in Grozny and a Ukrainian drone alert issued in the area, the flight rerouted and did not reach its original destination in the capital of Chechnya.
The aviation authority in Russia mentioned that the captain could have landed at other airports but chose to perform a forced landing near Aktau in Kazakhstan. The agency stated that they would provide comprehensive support for the investigations in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
Regarding reports of a Russian air defense system mistakenly shooting down the plane, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Friday that he had no additional comments and would refrain from any evaluations until an official conclusion is reached in the investigation.