A team of Brazilian air force investigators is collaborating with experts from three other countries to analyze data extracted from the black box of an Azerbaijani airliner that tragically crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 38 people. Azerbaijan has claimed the aircraft was unintentionally downed by Russia, reports AP.
The Embraer 190 aircraft, built in Brazil, was en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in the North Caucasus when it was diverted. The plane crashed while attempting to land near Aktau, after flying hundreds of kilometers across the Caspian Sea.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Brazil’s air force confirmed that nine foreign investigators, along with its own experts, have gathered in Brasília at the center for air accident investigation and prevention. They are working with data extracted from the airplane's black box, including cockpit voice recordings and flight data. The team includes investigators from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
Brazil's air force noted that while there is no specific timeline for releasing the results of the investigation, the extraction and validation of the flight data will proceed as quickly as possible. Final conclusions will be made by Kazakh authorities.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has stated that the aircraft was hit by ground fire from Russia and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare. He further accused Russia of attempting to cover up the incident for several days.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed regret over the incident, offering a public apology to President Aliyev, but stopped short of accepting responsibility. Allegations have surfaced suggesting that the plane was shot down by Russian air defense systems that were trying to intercept a Ukrainian drone strike near Grozny, the destination of the doomed flight.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
