The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan has published an interim report on the ongoing investigation into the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft near Aktau. According to this document, damage was found on board that could have been caused by the striking elements of an explosive device, although their origin has not yet been established.
The document also states that through-holes were found in the aircraft's hydraulic system, which could have been caused by metallic fragments made from iron-based alloys (steel base). However, no traces of explosives were found on these objects.
The investigation is ongoing, and the current report is preliminary. So far, specialists have analyzed information about the flight, weather conditions, the work of air traffic controllers, and the technical condition of the aircraft, as well as decrypted data from both "black boxes": one contains flight information, while the other has recordings of the crew's conversations. The crash site has been thoroughly examined, and the wreckage has been documented and removed for further analysis.
During the investigation, attempts were also made to obtain data from the onboard computer responsible for the aircraft's maintenance. However, thermal exposure hindered the extraction of information from the central computer. It has been recommended to contact the American company Delkin Devices Inc., which specializes in memory card production, to obtain the data. Currently, the Kazakh side is negotiating with representatives from the USA to conduct an investigation at the manufacturer's facility.
The crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) occurred on December 25. The liner was on a flight from Baku to Grozny but was unable to land in the capital of Chechnya and, after signaling distress, headed for Aktau. The aircraft crashed three kilometers from the airport, resulting in the deaths of 38 out of 67 people on board. Among the victims were citizens of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
After the incident, many theories emerged regarding the causes of the crash, including bird strikes and external influences on the aircraft. At the end of December, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that Moscow was trying to conceal the true reasons for the incident, claiming that the aircraft was incapacitated using electronic warfare means, and as a result, the tail section was severely damaged by ground fire.
In connection with the tragedy, a special commission was established under the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan. Experts from Azerbaijan, Russia, and the manufacturer Embraer are participating in the investigation.
The preliminary report from the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan on the progress of the investigation was published in February 2025; however, it does not contain clear conclusions about the causes of the crash. It reports the presence of holes in the aircraft's fuselage and that foreign metallic objects were found, which have been sent for examination.
