An investigation into the fatal crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Kazakhstan earlier this week came after the passenger plane experienced “external physical and technical interference,” the airline said Friday.
The Embraer 190 crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board while en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, Russia.
According to a US official, early evidence indicated that the plane may have been hit by a Russian anti-aircraft system.
On Thursday, Matthew Borie, director of intelligence at aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions, told NBC News that “the flight was likely shot down by a Russian air defense system.”
At the time of the incident, Russian air defense forces were defending against a Ukrainian military drone attack in which Russia shot down drones, he said.
While Russian officials have warned against speculation about the cause of the flight crash, the country’s aviation authority on Friday said the situation around Grozny, Chechnya, was “very complicated” when the plane was diverted to Kazakhstan, where crashed.
Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation authority, cited the presence of “Ukrainian combat drones” around Grozny. Chechnya is close to Ukraine and the ongoing war with Russia.
Rosaviatsia also reported that dense fog in the Grozny airport area meant that there was no visibility at an altitude of approximately 1,600 feet. The pilot was offered alternative airports but opted to head to the Kazakh city of Aktau after two failed attempts to land in Grozny, according to a statement issued by Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsia.
On Friday, Azerbaijan Airlines said it had also suspended flights from Baku to five additional Russian airports. This decision comes after the suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala, announced on Wednesday.
“The suspension will remain in effect until the final investigation is completed,” according to a statement posted on the airline’s Telegram channel on Friday.
