Azerbaijan Airlines blames 'external interference' for plane crash that killed 38 people

27 December 2024, 16:16

Azerbaijan Airlines has blamed 'external interference'
Azerbaijan Airlines has blamed 'external interference'. Picture: Alamy

By Emma Soteriou

Azerbaijan Airlines has blamed 'external interference' for the plane crash that killed 38 people on Christmas Day.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The plane was on route from Baku in Azerbaijan to Grozny in Russia, and was rerouted due to heavy fog before crashing near Aktau airport in Kazakhstan.

The crash killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.

Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday that it was due to unspecified "physical and technical interference".

The airline did not say where the interference came from or provide any further details.

It has since suspended flights to several Russian airports.

Passengers and crew who survived the crash told local media that they heard loud noises on the aircraft as it was circling over Grozny.

Mobile phone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before crashing into the ground in a fireball.

Other footage showed part of its fuselage ripped away from the wings, and the rest of the plane lying upside down in the grass.

Read more: Russian air defences 'may have brought down Azerbaijan Airlines plane'

Read more: Pilot dies after light aircraft crashes into Scottish field moments after take-off

Rescuers transport wounded passengers from a medical plane after the Azerbaijani Airlines plane crashed
Rescuers transport wounded passengers from a medical plane after the Azerbaijani Airlines plane crashed. Picture: Getty

It was previously reported that experts thought it increasingly likely that a Russian air defence system brought down the plane.

However, it has since been suggested that Russia denied the plane an emergency landing, despite it suffering critical damage and the pilot’s repeated pleas, at three different airports.

The Azeri Times also claimed that Russia then tampered with the plane’s GPS system, forcing the pilot to divert the plane over the Caspian Sea.

The outlet said it was a deliberate attempt to make the plane crash in water to conceal any evidence of an attack.

Earlier, aviation analysts said images from the crash site point to damage from an air defence system, while multiple sources have told the Reuters news agency the same.

The plane went down near Aktau airport.
The plane went down near Aktau airport. Picture: Getty

It is believed Russia used its Pantsir-S system to shoot down the plane, which was travelling over Chechnya, where Russia was actively shooting down Ukrainian UAVs.

Former pilot Terry Tozer told LBC: "It's looking probably 90% sure it was hit by a missile. The close-up shots of the tail section that the people scrambled out of is peppered with holes, it looks very much like shrapnel and that fits completely with (video footage of the crash), this was an aircraft where the crew were quite obviously struggling to control it.

"Close-ups show a lot of their normal landing aids were not being used which backs up the idea of complete hydraulic failure with loss of control so I think the pilots did a pretty remarkable job to get it where they did."

If this evidence is confirmed, it would be the second time in a decade that Russia shot down a commercial airplane, after the MH17 crash in Ukraine in 2014.

A national day of mourning was held in Azerbaijan on Thursday.
A national day of mourning was held in Azerbaijan on Thursday. Picture: Getty

A national day of mourning was held in Azerbaijan on Thursday, with flags lowered across the country.

The Kremlin has asked people not to speculate about the cause of the accident before an official investigation wraps up.

Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said preliminary information indicated that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird strike led to an emergency on board.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Police at the scene in central London on Monday at 'Fast Eddie's' mansion

Three knifed at playboy’s notorious £15m London mansion where Bonnie Blue filmed sex party

The body of Scottish businessman Campbell Scott was found in a remote area 60 miles from Nairobi

Scottish businessman's body found in sack in Kenya with 'his hands and feet bound with rope'

A Biscoff ice cream product has been recalled

Popular Biscoff treat urgently recalled from shelves amid health fears after 'undeclared' allergy risk discovered

Polish Armed Forces Day Celebrated In Warsaw, Poland

NATO scrambles warplanes in Poland after Russia launches latest strikes on Ukraine

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal manager) applauds the fans on the final whistle at the Arsenal v West Ham United

'Over my dead body': Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta won't concede Premier League title to Liverpool

Amanda Pritchard's resignation as Chief Executive is expected to be confirmed this afternoon

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard to step down from her role

Jose Mourinho was appointed Fenerbahce manager in 2024

Galatasaray accuse Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho of making 'racist statements'

Exclusive
Ofcom will 'name and shame' social media companies that don't take action to cut down abuse of women and girls

Social media companies to be 'named and shamed' for not protecting women and girls online, Ofcom chief tells LBC

Video footage shows police rushing towards the Hart Space during the attack

Horror footage shows moment police rush towards Southport dance studio while killer is still inside

Registered XL Bully dogs must be housed securely, neutered, kept on a lead and muzzled in public

Man in his 80s seriously injured after XL bully attack in Warrington

Ocean Infinity is searching for the downed plane

British team launches 'final search' for MH370, in bid to solve mystery of vanished plane 11 years on

The BBC has pulled the documentary from iPlayer while it does more 'due diligence'

BBC Gaza documentary cameraman ‘celebrated October 7 attacks’ as cost of film is revealed

Bessborough Road, where the crash took place

Pedestrian in her 40s killed in London bus crash as car driver arrested for dangerous driving

Energy bills are set to rise again

Energy bills to increase again as price cap rises more than expected

Exclusive
Boris Johnson has said the UK should spend more on defence

UK should spend 3% of GDP on defence and could send up to 10,000 troops to Ukraine, Boris Johnson tells LBC

Mitchell Ring was forced to sit near the body for several hours

Couple forced to sit next to dead woman for hours after she collapsed on long-haul flight