Kazakh Transport Ministry publishes preliminary report on AZAL plane crash inquiry

The Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft, which crashed in Kazakhstan in late 2024, had registered a "sound strike" against the cockpit during flight, the Kazakh Transport Ministry said in a preliminary report published on its website on Tuesday.

"According to recordings obtained from the CVR [Cockpit Voice Recorder], a sound strike is registered at 05:13:31 a.m., activating the sound alarm system which turned off the autopilot, the autothrottle. [...] According to recordings obtained from the CVR, a second sound strike is registered at 05:13:56 a.m.," the report said.

At 5:15 a.m. the crew reported a birdstrike to an air traffic controller. "Grozny [flight destination], control failure, a birdstrike to the cockpit. A birdstrike and two cockpit seats exploded, it was a heavy strike, says the back seats there exploded, a flight attendant said. We are heading towards Mineralny Vody, give us the weather for Minvody please," a transcript enclosed in the report said.

The 53-page document contains information on the flight history, aircraft damage, weather, wreckage, and so on.

In accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards and practices, "this report is being released for the sole purpose of preventing future air accidents and incidents," the document said. "The investigation carried out in the framework of this report does not imply apportioning the blame or responsibility to anyone. Criminal aspects of this event are set out in the framework of a separate criminal case," it said.

On December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190 aircraft en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near Kazakhstan's Aktau. The crash killed 38 people out of 67 aboard the plane. The aircraft headed to Aktau after several attempts to land in Grozny. It crashed within around three kilometers from the Aktau airport.