Preliminary report reveals external damage to crashed Azerbaijani plane in Kazakhstan
A preliminary report on the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijani passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, indicates the aircraft was damaged by external objects. The plane had numerous holes in its fuselage, leading to hydraulic failures. The Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which crashed after being diverted from Russia, resulted in 38 fatalities. The report noted that the crew lost GPS signal and control shortly before the crash, with damage found on the tail, engine, and wing. Speculation surrounds the cause of the damage, with some reports suggesting it may have been hit by a missile from a Russian air defense system. Russia initially claimed the plane collided with birds but later acknowledged its air defense systems were active during the incident.