Kazakhstan will continue its cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to fully complete the investigation into the AZAL plane crash in Aktau, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev stated, Azernews reports.

At a meeting with Nicolas Rallo, Director of the ICAO Bureau for Europe and the North Atlantic, Bozumbayev expressed gratitude for ICAO’s support and thanked the organization for promptly dispatching independent expert Tormodur Tormodson to the crash site.

"We will continue cooperation with ICAO to fully complete this investigation," Bozumbayev emphasized, as reported by Trend.

The crash occurred on December 25, 2024, when an Embraer 190-100 IGW passenger aircraft, registered as 4K-AZ65 and operated by Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (“AZAL”), was en route from Baku to Grozny. The aircraft crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan, resulting in the tragic loss of 39 lives, including the captain, co-pilot, senior flight attendant, and 35 passengers. Despite the devastating accident, the professionalism and bravery of the pilots and flight attendants enabled the survival of 29 passengers.

Emergency response teams in Kazakhstan swiftly mobilized upon receiving information about the aircraft’s emergency landing, ensuring the evacuation and medical treatment of survivors.

Preliminary findings of the investigation

The initial report on the crash has confirmed several key findings:

The aircraft was fully airworthy at the time of takeoff and throughout its flight to Grozny, with its control systems confirmed to be functional by flight data recorder (FDR) analysis. Both engines operated without technical issues until the moment of the accident, as verified by the FDR. The aircraft encountered a loss of GPS signals while operating in Russian airspace, including over Grozny airport. After failing to land in Grozny due to poor weather conditions, the captain decided to return to Baku. During this time, cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data recorded two unexplained sounds over Grozny, 24 seconds apart. Four seconds after the first sound, the third hydraulic system failed, followed by failures of the first and second hydraulic systems within 21 seconds. The aircraft’s fuselage exhibited numerous penetrating and blind damages, particularly in the rear fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, left wing, and left engine. Investigators identified foreign object damage on the fuselage but found no evidence suggesting a bird strike. Foreign objects unrelated to the aircraft were found embedded in the wreckage, and their photographs were included in the report. Further examinations are planned to determine their exact origin. At 05:13:32, the aircraft lost its main control systems. By 05:21:42, air traffic control in Grozny was informed of operation "Kover"—an emergency procedure. No evidence was found of an oxygen cylinder explosion.

According to ICAO’s Chicago Convention, a final report on the crash must be completed within one year of the incident. The Republic of Kazakhstan, along with other investigating states, has already begun working on this comprehensive report.