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Final Words of Pilot Before Azerbaijan Airlines Crash That Killed Dozens
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The harrowing last words of the pilot of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight that tragically crashed on December 25, claiming 38 lives, have been revealed.
Evidence suggests that the Embraer E190AR jet may have been mistakenly targeted by a Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile launched from the Naursky district in Chechnya, Russia. The aircraft, initially presumed to have struck a flock of birds, was likely hit by Russian air defenses, mistaking it for a Ukrainian drone.
The damaged plane’s rear section, found intact at the crash site near Aktau in Kazakhstan, bore shrapnel damage consistent with a missile strike. Survivors also reported hearing an explosion outside the aircraft.
Sequence of Events
The flight, carrying 67 passengers and crew, was en route to Grozny, Chechnya, when Grozny airport was suddenly closed, forcing the pilots to seek alternative landing options. Partial transcripts of communications between the pilots and air traffic control detail a catastrophic sequence of events:
- 8:12 a.m.: The crew reported “both GPS lost” and requested vectoring back to Baku.
- 8:16 a.m.: The pilot reported a “bird strike in the cockpit” and control failure.
- 8:17 a.m.: The crew indicated a change of course to Mineralnye Vody airport in Russia but stated, “I can’t execute, control is lost.”
- 8:19 a.m.: The pilot reported high cabin pressure and stated, “My plane is losing control.”
- 8:22 a.m.: The crew noted hydraulic system failure. Despite this, they denied declaring an emergency, stating the aircraft was “in order.”
The aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after, reappearing near Aktau before crashing during a final attempt to land.
Investigation and Allegations
Reports from the Russian Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, which has ties to security services, suggest air defense units loyal to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov may have mistakenly fired at the plane. The channel claims a missile strike occurred about 18 kilometers from Grozny at an altitude of 2,400 meters.
Kazakhstan, where the plane crashed, has refused Russian and Azerbaijani participation in the investigation. Kazakh officials stated, “We will handle all facts, black box data, and evidence independently.”
Conflicting Narratives
Some Russian sources have attempted to blame the crash on a collision with a Ukrainian drone. However, investigative journalists from the Volya Telegram channel have dismissed this theory, stating that drones typically explode upon impact and do not cause shrapnel damage consistent with that found on the Embraer jet.
Volya reported that during the plane’s final descent, Grozny airport was closed due to suspected drone activity. In response, Pantsir-S1 missile systems reportedly began indiscriminately targeting aerial objects, including the passenger jet.
Aftermath
A Russian Emergencies Ministry aircraft has transported nine injured survivors, including a child, to Moscow for treatment. The crash left 29 survivors in total.
Ramzan Kadyrov has remained silent on the incident, but his nephew, Khamzat Kadyrov, Secretary of the Chechen Security Council, posted a video on social media showing a drone being shot down.
As investigations continue, many questions remain unanswered, with evidence pointing toward a preventable tragedy caused by a critical failure in judgment and coordination.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, bail in the sum of ₦2 billion over alleged money laundering charges involving $2.63 million.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo held that Bodejo was entitled to bail because the offences for which he was charged are bailable under Nigerian law.
The court ordered that the defendant must produce one surety in the like sum, adding that the surety must be a resident of Abuja, possess a three-year tax clearance certificate and own landed property worth ₦2 billion within the Federal Capital Territory.
Justice Ekwo further directed that the property documents be verified by the court registrar before the bail conditions could be perfected.
The court also ordered Bodejo to surrender his international passport to the registrar and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria without the permission of the court.
Following the ruling, the judge adjourned the case until October 5, 6 and 7 for the commencement of trial.
Bodejo was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on multiple counts of alleged money laundering after the anti-graft agency accused him of receiving large cash payments outside the banking system in violation of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
According to the EFCC, the Miyetti Allah leader allegedly accepted cash payments totalling about $2.63 million from a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, Sa’idu Abubakar, in separate transactions conducted between 2022 and 2024 without routing the funds through financial institutions as required by law.
A Cross River High Court sitting in Calabar has sentenced a 51-year-old apostle, Ubong Bassey Etim, to death by hanging for the murder of his 16-year-old daughter, Deborah Bassey, who had Down syndrome and was falsely accused of being a witch.
Justice Blessing Egwu of High Court No. 11 delivered the judgment on Friday finding Etim guilty of murder and ordering that he be executed by hanging.
The court heard that the incident occurred on February 15, 2025, when Deborah was killed after being branded a witch, a case that sparked outrage among child rights advocates and organisations campaigning against witchcraft branding.
Six people have been confirmed dead and 15 rescued, while several others remain missing after a canoe mishap in the Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The incident occurred on Sunday at about 4 pm in Malamawa village, where about 40 passengers were said to have boarded the canoe before it capsized.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, with officials of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency deployed to the scene in search of survivors.
The Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwal Sankara, confirmed the development and said the government had intensified efforts to locate all victims.
“We have so far recovered six bodies and rescued 15 persons alive. Search operations are still ongoing,” he said.
Sankara added that emergency teams would not relent until all those involved in the accident were accounted for.
“We will continue the rescue mission until every single person is found, dead or alive,” he stated.
Eyewitnesses said the canoe was overloaded, raising concerns over safety compliance on local waterways.
Authorities are yet to confirm the exact number of passengers still missing as rescue operations continue.
FHC grants Miyetti Allah President N2.6bn bail over $2.63m money laundering
Court sentences pastor to death for killing daughter over witchcraft claim
Six dead, 15 rescued as canoe capsizes in Jigawa
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