The president of Azerbaijan Airlines praised the pilots of flight J2-8243 following a crash in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.
While both pilots were among the 38 fatalities reported by Kazakh authorities, their actions may have helped 29 of the 67 people onboard survive.
Samir Rzayev, the head of Azerbaijan Airlines told reporters on Wednesday that the “heroism” of the two pilots “will never be forgotten.”
“While this tragic accident brought a significant loss to our nation, the crew’s valiant dedication to their duties until the last moment and their prioritization of human life have immortalized their names in history,” Rzayev said, according to the Azerbaijani news agency Report.
Rzayev noted that the pilots had a combined experience of over 15,000 flight hours and confirmed that the plane had recently undergone a technical inspection.
“Despite these measures, the causes of the incident are still under investigation,” Rzayev added.
The Embraer 190 jet departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, early Wednesday, en route to Grozny, Russia.
Due to adverse weather conditions, the flight was diverted, the airline told BBC News. The plane crash-landed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, at approximately 06:28 local time.
Kazakhstan’s Senate Chairman, Ashimbayev Maulen, told Reuters on Thursday that the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Preliminary information from Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, indicated that the plane was diverted due to an onboard emergency caused by a bird strike.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged against speculating about the cause of the crash until the investigation is complete.
Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, accused Russia of causing the crash. In a post on X Wednesday evening, he claimed the plane was “shot down by a Russian air defense system” and cited video footage from inside the aircraft showing “punctured life vests and other damage.”
