Azerbaijan Airlines says captain of crashed plane has extensive experience

The captain of the plane of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), which crashed in Kazakhstan, Russian Igor Kshnyakin had a lot of experience. This was reported on December 25 in the press service of the airline.

"Kshnyakin <...> flew more than 15 thousand hours," - the agency "RIA Novosti" quotes the text of the message AZAL.

It is specified that about 11.2 thousand hours the Russian flew as a captain.

Tragedy in Aktau: Baku-Grozny passenger plane crashed

A fire started at the scene and there are survivors

Earlier in the day, Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said the Republic plans to investigate the plane crash.

A passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), heading on the route Baku - Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25. After the crash the plane caught fire, the fire was extinguished. Preliminary, the cause of the fall of the airplane could be a collision with a flock of birds. After the crash, a criminal case was initiated.

The passenger list of AZAL includes 62 passengers and five crew members. According to the latest data, seven Russians died, nine survived and were hospitalized. The Russian Emergencies Ministry's special airplane will deliver to Moscow the Russian citizens, injured in the crash, on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In turn, Bozumbayev came to the victims of the plane crash. He also said that 38 people were killed in the airplane crash.

Search and rescue operations continue at the site of the tragedy. AZAL has suspended flights from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala until the investigation is completed. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared December 26 a day of mourning in the republic for the victims of the plane crash.