Aktau plane crash: Baku residents honor fallen captain Kshnyakin

Tengrinews.kz - Residents of Baku have paid tribute to Captain Igor Kshnyakin, who perished in the Aktau plane crash, by placing flowers near the entrance of his apartment building.

A video shared on the official Telegram channel of Media.Az shows an unidentified man hanging the Azerbaijani flag on the canopy above the building's entrance.

Captain Igor Kshnyakin, who was in command of the Baku–Grozny flight, was an experienced pilot with over 15,000 flight hours, 11,200 of which he logged as captain, according to AZAL. Journalists who spoke with his wife revealed that Kshnyakin held Russian citizenship.

Reports indicate that aviation experts agree the crew made the best possible decisions under the extreme circumstances, saving as many lives as they could. Video footage suggests that the pilots attempted to stabilize the aircraft and ensure a safe landing until the very last moment.

Civil aviation expert Abul Kekilbayev urged caution against drawing premature conclusions about the incident. He emphasized the importance of focusing on gathering data to ensure an objective investigation, noting that thorough analysis is the cornerstone of any crash inquiry.

Earlier, Azerbaijani media reported on the heroism of the crew, thanks to which it was possible to save people's lives.

Azerbaijani citizens who survived the plane crash near Aktau spoke about their condition and thanked Kazakhstani doctors.

Nine injured Russian citizens were sent to Moscow on the morning of December 26. Survivors of the incident from Azerbaijan will also be transported home. Among the survivors are two crew members—flight attendants Aidan Ragimli and Zulfugar Asadov. Both are conscious. The flight attendant was previously shown in a video.