Embraer E190 Crashes in Kazakhstan

The jet was bound for Grozny Airport on Christmas Day. Reports indicate that five crew members and 62 passengers were onboard. 

Ryan Ewing
Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 (Photo: Treflyn, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

An Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. According to the Aviation Safety Network, the aircraft declared an emergency prior to the accident.

The jet was bound for Grozny Airport on Christmas Day. Reports indicate that five crew members and 62 passengers were onboard.

38 fatalities have been reported so far, and 29 were taken to the hospital. 11 passengers are in critical condition.

Weather was poor at the aircraft’s destination airport, prompting a diversion. The crew later reported flight control issues; Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows rapidly changing speeds and altitudes.

The E190’s vertical speed reached values of 8,300 feet per minute upward and downward. Photos on social media show substantial fire damage to the aircraft.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has spent more than a decade covering the airline business. His work has been featured by CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. His aviation experience spans airport operations, Part 135 regulatory compliance, and airline crew workforce planning, along with time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 and interviews with airline executives. Ryan now serves as Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group. He holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and teaches Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox

SUBSCRIBE