kravietz 🦇#Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was shot down using #Russia Pantsir-S, confirmed officials from Baku. This has been the main hypothesis but now they have found missile fragments inside the wreckage.
As it comes out, Azerbeijan merely confirmed findings of the #Kazakhstan ministry of transport who published a #J28243 preliminary report today
https://www.gov.kz/uploads/2025/2/4/84f9ee83af415a658fc3d2830d317889_original.3875924.pdf (in Russian)
What is in the report? The report confirms virtually all the details given earlier - GNSS suppression on the approach to landing (to which Grozny gave permission). Here’s a very brief summary (from an aviation ignorant).
At 05:13:31, the recording device registers an ‘impact sound’, the autopilot shuts down after which the pressure in the ‘third hydraulic system’ drops to zero. The ELEVATOR, AILERON, RUDDER control systems ‘remain at zero’ for the remainder of the flight. Another AP PITCH TRIM system also fails, there is a loss of cabin pressure, the system reports the tail service door as open. The pressure in the ‘first hydraulic system’ has also dropped to zero.
At that point, the crew report what they believe to be ‘birds hitting the cabin’ and ‘two seats in the back exploded’ and ask for directions to the nearest airport. Discussions continue about the weather and conditions at various airports, and eventually the crew decides to fly to Aktau (Kazakhstan).
At 06:27 the aircraft hits the ground not far from Aktau airport after a series of desperate manoeuvres, the meaning of which the pilots will probably understand.
The report documents in detail the damage to the tail section from anti-aircraft missile, including cut hydraulic lines. There are several photos of the shrapnels themselves.