The crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E-190 in December 2024 was attributed to damage “probably caused by external objects penetrating the aircraft components”, according to a preliminary report from the Kazakh government.
On February 4, 2025, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Digital Development and Transport (AZAL) released a 53-page preliminary investigation report into the crash which occurred on December 25, 2024.
The aircraft, registered as 4K-AZ65, was on a scheduled flight J2-8243 from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it suddenly diverted across the Caspian Sea and crashed approximately five kilometers northwest of Aktau International Airport (SCO) and resulted in the aircraft breaking into several parts upon impact.
The accident claimed the lives of the captain, co-pilot, a senior flight attendant, and 35 passengers. The crew consisted of the aircraft commander, co-pilot, chief flight attendant and two flight attendants, along with 60 adult passengers and two children on board.
The report indicated that external damage was discovered along the aircraft’s fuselage, with particularly high concentration in the back area of the aircraft.
This fuselage damage was caused by “foreign objects” that were not part of the aircraft, the report added. Photographs included in the report showed multiple puncture holes on the port side of the tail section. No evidence of a bird strike was noted in the report.
This type of damage is consistent with the effects of shrapnel from an anti-aircraft missile. These missiles are designed with a warhead containing both explosives and metal fragments. Rather than detonating on direct impact, they explode in proximity to the target, releasing shrapnel at a perpendicular angle. Their primary purpose is to disable key systems, resulting in a loss of control and, ultimately, the aircraft’s destruction.
The Kremlin confirmed that Russian air defenses were active on December 25, 2024, when an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 attempted to land in Grozny. An anonymous source in the Azerbaijani government told Reuters that Azerbaijani investigators recovered and identified a fragment of a Pantsir-S missile from the aircraft.
Read more: Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan: Putin confirms Russian air defense active
The report also highlights that the aircraft was fully airworthy before its flight to Grozny. The airworthiness, including the operation of the flight control systems, was confirmed by data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR).
Both engines were functioning properly until the accident, the report continued. The aircraft lost GPS signals while flying over Russian airspace and experienced the same issue above Kadyrov Grozny International Airport (GRV).
Due to poor weather conditions, the Azerbaijani Airlines aircraft made two unsuccessful landing attempts in Grozny before the captain decided to return to Baku, the report stated.
According to the report, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captured two external noises within a 24-second span. Analysis of the CVR and FDR data revealed that four seconds after the first sound, the third hydraulic system failed, followed by the failure of the first hydraulic system six seconds later, and the second hydraulic system 21 seconds after that.
The government of Kazakhstan has determined that the final report into the cause of the accident will be fully completed within one year from the date of the accident.
