Aktau Airport was ready to receive the plane, and the crew made two landing attempts – the Minister of Transport said on Thursday Kazakhstan Marat Karabajew. Air traffic control took all measures to ensure the safe landing of the Embraer-190 plane that crashed on Wednesday, he added.
During the press conference, the minister stated that the crew of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane entered Kazakhstan's airspace and made contact with the controller. Aktau airport tower. The crew made two attempts to descend to the Aktau airport runway, “during which they were observed chaotic changes in the ship's height. The plane then headed towards the coast. At At 11.28, communication with the crew was lost, after which the plane collided with the ground,” said the minister, quoted by the Kazakh portal Tengri News.
Karabayev said that an investigation into the circumstances of the crash was ongoing. The Kazakh authorities also announced that Embraer's black boxes had been found.
Disaster in Aktau. An international investigation is coming
Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbajew told the Tengri News portal that the investigation into the Aktau plane crash is ongoing and the authorities do not intend to comment on media reports on the causes of the accident for now.
– We cannot confirm or refute any version today. The investigation is ongoing, Bozumbayev said, adding that to Kazakhstan specialists from the CIS International Aviation Committee will arriveas well as representatives of Embraer and representatives of the Brazilian aviation authorities. – They will be included in the accident investigation committee, headed by our head of the Ministry of Transport – he said.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said via social media that the US “is ready to come to the aid of the authorities of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan“.
Let us remind you that on Thursday the sources in Azeri government circles confirmed that the cause Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash he was in Aktau Russian missile ground-air – determined by the Euro News editorial team.
The pociak was supposed to be fired during drone activity over Groznymand then explode next to the plane. The fragments were said to have injured the crew and passengers. According to the AnewZ news agency, the missile was launched from the Pantsir system.
Euro News, citing government sources, reported that the plane was damaged was not allowed to land at any of the Russian airports. The decision was made despite requests for permission emergency landing.