How Azerbaijan Airlines pilots saved passengers while sacrificing their own lives

The plane, travelling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the regional capital of Chechnya, crashed on Wednesday while attempting to land after it veered toward Kazakhstan. The crash resulted in 38 fatalities, with all 29 survivors sustaining injuries.

Survivors, including passengers and crew, reported hearing loud noises on the aircraft while it was circling over Grozny before the crash.

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The airline's president, Samir Rzayev, lauded the pilots' "heroism" and commitment to saving lives, stating, “While this tragic accident resulted in a great loss for our nation, the crew's courageous dedication to their duties until the final moments and their focus on preserving human life have made their names immortal in history,” according to a report from the Azerbaijani news agency.

The pilots had accumulated over 15,000 flight hours, and the plane had recently undergone a technical inspection.

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The Associated Press shared a video of the crash showing passengers being rescued from the aft section of the aircraft, which is typically regarded as the safest area in the event of a crash.

Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's minister of digital development and transportation, told Azerbaijani media that “preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact,” which is also supported by witness testimony. “The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe,” Nabiyev added, AP reported.

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Two other survivors shared their experiences, describing hearing explosions before the plane went down. Jerova Salihat told Azerbaijani television from her hospital bed that “something exploded” near her leg, while Vafa Shabanova reported hearing “two explosions in the sky,” adding that "an hour and a half later, the plane crashed to the ground."

Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, stated on Friday that the plane, while preparing to land in Grozny amidst dense fog, was being targeted by Ukrainian drones. This prompted authorities to close the airspace around the city. Yadrov explained that after two unsuccessful landing attempts by the captain, the airline offered alternative airports, but the decision was made to fly the plane to Aktau in Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea.