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Nazrin Abdul

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A one-minute moment of silence was observed at Heydar Aliyev International Airport to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, one year ago, Azernews reports.

On December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190-100 IGW passenger aircraft registered as 4K-AZ65 and operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) on flight J2-8243 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan. The tragedy claimed the lives of two crew members (the captain and first officer), the chief flight attendant, and 35 passengers.

Despite the casualties and injuries, the professionalism, courage, and quick actions of the pilots and cabin crew allowed for a controlled crash landing that saved the lives of 29 people. Emergency response teams in Kazakhstan immediately carried out rescue operations, evacuating the survivors and providing medical assistance.

An initial investigation revealed the following facts:

The aircraft was fully airworthy at the start of the flight and remained so throughout the journey to Grozny. Data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) confirmed the operational integrity of the aircraft and its control systems.

Both engines of the aircraft were functioning without any technical issues until the moment of the crash, as confirmed by FDR data.

During the flight over Russian airspace, including the Grozny area, the aircraft experienced a loss of GPS signals.

Due to adverse weather conditions, the aircraft was unable to land in Grozny on its second attempt, prompting the captain to decide to return to Baku. Following this decision, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recorded two unusual sounds 24 seconds apart over Grozny.

Analysis of the CVR and FDR data showed that four seconds after the first unusual sound, the 3rd hydraulic system failed; six seconds later, the 1st hydraulic system failed; and 21 seconds later, the 2nd hydraulic system lost functionality, leading to the crash.