Deadly Embraer crash in Kazakhstan linked to bird strike
As a result of the Embraer 190 plane crash in western Kazakhstan, several dozen people were killed. According to preliminary findings, the probable cause of the tragedy was a system failure that occurred after a collision with a flock of birds.
On Wednesday morning in the western region of Kazakhstan, an Embraer 190 aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines crashed.
The aircraft was flying from Baku to Grozny, but due to dense fog over Grozny, it was redirected to an alternative airport in Makhachkala. It collided with birds during the flight, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing in Aktau over the Caspian Sea. During the landing attempt, the plane broke apart and caught fire.
On board were between 67 and 69 people, including a five-member crew. The authorities in Kazakhstan reported that 29 people survived the crash, with several requiring surgery. On board were citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan.
Possible cause
In response to the tragedy, the authorities of Azerbaijan declared 26 December as a day of national mourning.
According to the Kazakh portal Orda, the most likely cause of the crash was a collision with a flock of birds, which caused the flight control system to fail.
11-year-old aircraft
The Embraer 190, manufactured in 2013 in Brazil, was named "Qusar". It was used for international flights, including Russia, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Bahrain. In 2017, it briefly flew for Buta Airways before returning to Azerbaijan Airlines. On 15 December, the plane failed to reach Grozny due to the airspace closure over the city.
The Embraer 190 is considered a relatively safe aircraft, with a 0.1 percent probability of a fatal accident. Before the Aktau crash, there were three fatal accidents worldwide. The last major incident took place on 18 February 2024, when a Danish airliner crashed in Belgrade, but no one was killed.
