Air crash in Aktau: Embraer specialists flew to Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz - A commission has been created to investigate the air crash in Aktau, Embraer specialists flew to Kazakhstan, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Employees of the department for the investigation of accidents and incidents in transport of the relevant department are at the scene of the accident, where they are conducting the field stage of the investigation.
A delegation of the State Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as representatives of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), arrived in Kazakhstan. Work on the site is carried out in close cooperation with the aviation authorities of Azerbaijan.
Representatives of the aircraft manufacturer Embraer and CENIPA (Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center, Brazil) also flew to Kazakhstan.
Earlier, the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, flying from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Grozny (Russia), crashed three kilometers from Aktau at 11:30 AM local time on December 25. The passenger flight was unable to land in Grozny due to heavy fog, first it was redirected to Makhachkala, and then to Aktau.

There are several versions of the cause of the crash. According to one version, the crash was caused by a collision of the plane with a flock of birds. Other media outlets report that an oxygen tank exploded on board. The Embraer lost control and crashed when it was less than 3 minutes away from Aktau Airport.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, there were 69 people on board, including 5 crew members:

42 citizens of Azerbaijan;
16 citizens of Russia;
6 citizens of Kazakhstan;
3 citizens of Kyrgyzstan;
two unidentified women of unknown citizenship, one about 32 years old, the other about 40 years old.

Azerbaijan Airlines also published a full list of passengers.
According to the latest data, there are 29 survivors, citizens of Azerbaijan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan.
What is known about the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed near Aktau?
The aircraft that crashed near Aktau was an Embraer ERJ-190, a twin-engine jet widely used for short and medium-haul flights. The aircraft are manufactured by a Brazilian company. The ERJ-190 (E190) is designed to carry between 96 and 114 passengers, depending on the cabin configuration. These aircraft can fly up to 4500 kilometers.