Bird Strike Or Cylinder Blast: What May Have Caused Kazakhstan Plane Crash

New Delhi: An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane with 67 people on board crashed in western Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reportedly due to an oxygen tank explosion, according to Kazakh media reports.  

The Embraer 190 jet, operating as flight J2-8243, had veered hundreds of miles off its scheduled route before crashing on the opposite side of the Caspian Sea near the city of Aktau.  

Bird Strike Suspected  

Russia's aviation emergency department has suggested that a bird strike might have caused the crash. The collision is believed to have triggered an emergency situation inside the flight, which led to the aircraft losing control mid-flight.  

Of the 67 passengers and crew onboard, more than 30 have tragically lost their lives. Survivors reported that several passengers fell unconscious before the plane went down.  

Authorities are investigating the exact cause of the crash, but the possibility of the bird strike playing a critical role has not been ruled out. 

Terrifying Crash Footage Surfaces  

A chilling two-minute video captured the horrifying moment the aircraft burst into flames upon impact during its emergency landing on Christmas Day. The footage shows the plane engulfed in a fireball, sending thick black smoke into the sky. The Embraer 190 appeared to be in a sideways nosedive, indicating the pilots struggled to maintain control.  

The crash split the aircraft into multiple parts, leaving behind a trail of destruction and charred debris. Rescue teams rushed to the scene, pulling survivors from the wreckage amidst heavy smoke and fire.  

Authorities confirmed that 32 individuals, including crew members, survived the crash. Many survivors sustained critical injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals. Tragically, over 30 lives were lost in what has become one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the region.  

Off-Route Flight Raises Questions  

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, which was supposed to follow a set path, flew hundreds of miles off course before the crash. Aviation experts are now questioning how the aircraft ended up on the opposite side of the Caspian Sea and whether the bird strike directly caused the deviation.  

Investigations into the crash are ongoing, with authorities working to determine the exact sequence of events and the role of the reported oxygen tank explosion.