Brazil has Successfully Extracted Data from the Black Boxes of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243

The Brazil Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) has successfully extracted data from the black boxes recovered at the crash site of Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243. The flight that an Embraer E-190 operated, was tragically downed in western Kazakhstan on December 25, 2024.

Following the recovery of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 black boxes, the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan announced on December 30, 2024, that they had been sent to CENIPA for analysis. On January 6, 2025, CENIPA’s laboratory, managed by Brazil’s Air Force, completed the extraction of critical data, including cockpit voice recordings and flight parameters. Kazakhstan authorities are tasked with releasing these findings. However, as of January 7, 2025, no public statements have been made about the data.

President Aliyev Meets Families of Victims

On January 6, 2025, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev met with the families of the crew members who perished in the crash. Aliyev highlighted the decision to send the black boxes to Brazil, emphasizing the need for impartiality. Aliyev remarked,

“Had we seen attempts by the official circles of the Russian Federation to objectively investigate this tragedy from the very beginning, we would likely have agreed to the decoding of the black boxes by the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC).”

He further confirmed that all information retrieved in Brazil has been handed over to Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor’s Office, which is leading its investigation into the crash.

Azerbaijan AirlinesFlight 8243: Timeline and Incident Details

On December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an Embraer E-190 registered as 4K-AZ65, departed from Baku-Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) with 62 passengers and five crew members onboard. The destination was Grozny Airport (GRV) in Russia. Tragically, the aircraft crashed in western Kazakhstan, resulting in the loss of 38 lives out of the 67 people onboard.

Authorities in Azerbaijan allege that Russian air defenses unintentionally struck the aircraft. This claim is partially corroborated by the Kremlin, which acknowledged that air defense systems were active over Grozny on the day of the crash. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin refrained from admitting fault, offering only a general apology for the “tragic incident” occurring within Russian airspace.

President Aliyev has criticized the handling of Russian airspace during the incident, emphasizing the protocol to close airspace in the event of threats to commercial aviation.

“If Russian airspace was under threat, the captain of the aircraft should have been promptly informed,” Aliyev stated. “The airspace should have been closed immediately, and the plane should have been instructed to turn back.”

Aliyev also expressed concerns about Russia’s lack of transparency in the aftermath, accusing its state agencies of promoting “absurd theories” that he claims are attempts to obscure the truth.

Youssef Yahya

Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’

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