Azerbaijan Airlines says plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 was due to...

The crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan on December 25 has left behind the sobbing cries of mourning, untold queries, and intensified tensions. The Embraer jet involved was bringing 38 persons, and crashed just 3 kilometers before the runway at the Aktau airport, setting ablaze on impact. Only 29 surviving passengers came through with their nails stories of what had transpired just before the crash.

Trouble purportedly started with the aircraft in Grozny, Russia, where in the officials’ own words the landing was made under truly complicated conditions. Heads were raised on Dmitry Yadrov from the civil aviation agency of Russia with his announcement that, as he called, alleged attacks of Ukrainian drones on civilian infrastructure in Grozny and Vladikavkaz had provoked authorities to lay a no-fly zone." The plan Carpet" protocols instructed to all aircraft to move off the area immediately.“The fog was thick; it was a total mess.”

Witnesses reported two explosions near the aircraft shortly after it was diverted into Kazakhstan over the Caspian Sea. Survivors, including flight attendant Zulfuqar Asadov, recounted the horror they experienced on board. “There was an outside explosion,” he recounted. “This caused panic. We were trying to calm the passengers, when a second hit injured my arm.”

Preliminary investigations point toward possible “external physical and technical interference” on account of the crash, thereby lading Azerbaijan Airlines in trouble with naming Russia open. While Azerbaijani media speculates, a belief by the experts is that shrapnel from a Russian air-defense missile could be able to damage the plane's hydraulic systems, crucial for its control. Veteran pilot Tahir Agaguliev stated, “Hydraulics are the lifeline of an aircraft. An airplane's control is almost impossible if hydraulics are lost; there is no way to control it." 

In reaction, on Tuesday, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would suspend flights to seven Russian cities, including Sochi and Volgograd, for security reasons. Similarly, Israeli carrier El Al announced it was suspending flights to Moscow, also citing reasons involving risks in Russian airspace. Some Ukrainian officials are calling for Russia to be held accountable, while the Kremlin has denied involvement, saying that investigations are under way and that it is too soon to jump to conclusions.

To complicate matters, controversy has arisen internationally over who should lead the investigation. Russia and Kazakhstan called for a regional committee under the Commonwealth of Independent States while Azerbaijan insisted on an independent international inquiry for fear that Russia would influence the investigation.

Vigils have begun rolling out in the streets of Baku in honor of the pilots, who are viewed as heroes in that they directed the crippled plane away from a massive disaster. Their unflinching courage has provoked a simmering outrage and frustration among victim families and survivors waiting for some clarity. 

For now, no one is sure what has caused the crash, all tangled up in the layers of geopolitical tension and human tragedy.