The pilots of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 that crashed at Aktau airport in Kazakhstan at the end of last year could only steer with the engines. That is one of the conclusions of an interim report, which is part of the investigation into the disaster.

The aircraft in question was on its way from Baku in Azerbaijan to Grozny in Chechnya on Christmas Day 2024, when it crashed near Aktau. It soon emerged that a Russian surface-to-air missile had hit the plane. A total of 38 people died in the plane crash.

The Kazakhstan Ministry of Transport has now shared preliminary investigation results. A thorough examination of the wreckage shows that fragments from the missile hit several crucial flight control systems in the tail of the plane, making it difficult for the pilots to control the aircraft.

It seems likely that the pilots were still able to control the altitude and direction of the aircraft by regulating the thrust of the engines, something that is very reminiscent of United Airlines flight UA232 from 1989. A DC-10 lost its hydraulic systems, after which the crew had to 'play' with the engine power to guide the aircraft to the ground. The plane crashed, but miraculously 184 people on board survived, including the whole flight deck crew.

--- DB4 - 20230201
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)