Translated with AI
The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan has published an interim report on the investigation into the accident involving an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger jet (flight 4K-AZ65) that occurred on December 25, 2024, near the city of Aktau. This was reported by a Tengrinews.kz correspondent.
The plane, passenger flight J2-8243, was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia. The accident killed 38 people, including three crew members, and injured 29 others.
An investigation commission was established by Order No. 433 of the Acting Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan dated December 26, 2024. It includes authorized representatives from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Brazil, as well as an observer from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The commission previously issued a preliminary report on February 4, 2025.
Progress of the investigation At the time of preparing the interim report, the commission had collected and analyzed all available factual data, including information on the crew members and dispatchers, documentation on the flight preparation and execution, meteorological data, and aircraft maintenance records. Copies of the flight log and other documents related to the flight were obtained.
Particular attention was paid to working with the flight recorders. Flight parameters from the flight data recorder (FDR), as well as the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), were extracted, identified, and deciphered.
Inspection of the crash site The commission conducted a detailed inspection of the crash site, documenting the spatial position of the aircraft's structural components. Photographic and video recordings were taken, and aircraft components were collected and removed from the scene for further examination.
Results of the examinations As part of the investigation, comprehensive examinations were conducted on foreign metal objects found at the crash site. No traces of explosives were found, and no signs of an explosion were found on the three oxygen cylinders.
According to preliminary findings, the damage to the aircraft could have been caused by warhead fragments, but their identity could not be determined. A trace analysis of a section of hydraulic system tube No. 2 revealed damage caused by contact with solid metal objects. Experts believe the through-and-through damage could have been caused by iron-based metal fragments.
Additionally, a Central Maintenance Computer (CMC) cassette, removed from a Honeywell International Inc. avionics module, was examined. Due to thermal exposure, data could not yet be extracted from the device. The commission is negotiating with the authorized US representative to conduct the examination at the facility of Delkin Devices Inc., the manufacturer of the memory card.
The study of GPS1 and GPS2 cassettes, extracted from CMC Electronics avionics modular units No. 1 and No. 3, has been completed and the obtained data is being analyzed.
Working groups and additional research To conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident, the commission has formed two working groups. The first is analyzing the risk assessment for flights over or near conflict zones in accordance with ICAO Doc 10084 recommendations, including issues of civil-military interaction.
The second working group completed the reconstruction of hydraulic system components No. 2 in Aktau. The work is complete, and the materials are being analyzed.
Next steps The commission is awaiting the completion of the Central Maintenance Computer (CMC) tape analysis and the preparation of a report from the working group on the risk analysis of flights near conflict zones. All conclusions will be objective and based solely on facts. The final investigation report will be published on the website of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan.
Context On December 25, 2024, a passenger plane en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near the city of Aktau. The tragedy claimed the lives of 38 people and became one of the most talked-about air disasters in the region, sparking an international outcry.
