In a significant development following the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan, the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the incident are now being sent to Brazil for analysis. The aircraft, an Embraer 190, crashed near the city of Aktau on December 25, 2024, resulting in the death of 38 of the 67 individuals on board. This move to Brazil underscores the international cooperation in unraveling the causes behind the disaster.
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The Embraer E190 was on its way from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it had to divert its course due to adverse weather conditions or an onboard emergency. The plane attempted to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan, where it met with a catastrophic end. The Brazilian Air Force confirmed on December 30, 2024, that the flight recorders would be processed in a specialized laboratory in BrasÃlia, highlighting the critical role of these "black boxes" in aviation accident investigations. The decision to dispatch the recorders to Brazil aligns with the Chicago Convention's Annex 13 standards, which stipulates that the state of the aircraft's manufacturer should conduct the analysis if requested. Embraer, the Brazilian manufacturer of the crashed jet, has been actively involved since the incident, with specialists already dispatched to the crash site to assist in the preliminary investigations.
The analysis in Brazil will involve extracting and interpreting data from both the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The FDR captures a wealth of technical information about the plane's performance, including speed, altitude, and engine status, while the CVR records the last 30 minutes of cockpit conversations and sounds. This data is pivotal for piecing together the sequence of events leading to the crash, potentially revealing whether the incident was due to technical failure, human error, or external factors like the speculated strike by a Russian air defense system. Representatives from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Azerbaijan will monitor this process to ensure transparency and accuracy in the findings. The Brazilian Air Force has emphasized the importance of this international collaboration, noting that the data will be shared back with the Kazakhstani authorities to aid in their investigation.
The crash has prompted a wide range of theories, with some reports suggesting the plane was hit by debris from Russian air defenses, originally intended for Ukrainian drones. This hypothesis would make the analysis of the black boxes even more critical, as they could confirm or refute such claims. The incident has also led to Azerbaijan declaring a day of national mourning and has raised questions about the safety of civilian flights in areas where military actions are prevalent. As the black boxes make their journey to Brazil, the global aviation community watches closely, not just for answers to this specific crash but for insights that could enhance safety measures worldwide. The findings from the analysis will be crucial for the grieving families seeking closure and for the aviation industry, which aims to prevent future tragedies. The process, while technically complex, is a testament to the international commitment to aviation safety, ensuring that lessons are learned from every disaster.