Collision course: Bird strike leads to Kazakh plane disaster
As a result of the Embraer 190 plane crash in western Kazakhstan, several dozen people lost their lives. According to preliminary findings, the likely cause of the tragedy was a system failure that occurred after a collision with a flock of birds.
On Wednesday morning in the western part of Kazakhstan, an Embraer 190 plane 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. During the flight, it collided with birds, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing in Aktau, situated 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, Azerbaijan authorities declared December 26 as a national day of mourning.
According to the Kazakh portal Orda, the most probable cause of the crash was a collision with a flock of birds, leading to a failure in the flight control system.
11-year-old aircraft
The Embraer 190, manufactured in 2013 in Brazil, was named "Qusar." It was used for international flights to Russia, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Bahrain. 2017, it briefly flew for Buta Airways before returning to Azerbaijan Airlines. On December 15, the plane could not 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 February 18, 2024, when a Danish airline's plane crashed in Belgrade; fortunately, no one was killed.
