In a significant development, Brazilian authorities have initiated a thorough investigation into the recent tragic crash of a locally manufactured passenger jet in Kazakhstan, which resulted in the loss of 38 lives out of the 67 individuals on board.
The ill-fated flight, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines using an Embraer 190 aircraft, met with disaster on Christmas Day while en route to Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic in southern Russia. According to the Brazilian Air Force, the flight data and cockpit conversations recorded by the plane’s black boxes are currently being retrieved for detailed analysis by the Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center, a specialized division within the Brazilian military.
The incident has sparked international tension, with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accusing Russian forces of mistakenly targeting the aircraft with an air-defense missile during its attempt to land at Grozny amidst challenging weather conditions, including dense fog. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not officially confirmed the missile strike but has acknowledged that Russian air-defense systems were active at the time of the crash, expressing regret over the occurrence within Russian-controlled airspace. Moscow attributes the downing of the plane to interference from Ukrainian drones targeting Grozny as the aircraft approached the airport.
An international team comprising investigators from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia has arrived in Brazil to collaborate on the investigation. The Brazilian Air Force has stated that the responsibility for disseminating the findings from the black box examination lies with Kazakhstan authorities.
As the investigation progresses, the global community awaits further insights into the causes of the crash and the surrounding circumstances that led to this tragic event.
