The transcript indicates that there were no messages regarding weather conditions at the Grozny airport, fog, or the “Cover” plan during the radio exchange. The plane was confidently approaching for landing under the controller’s supervision, but the crew reported a GPS outage and requested navigational assistance.
After attempting to land, the captain decided to return to Baku. However, the plane was struck by air defense systems.
Believing the aircraft had collided with birds, the crew requested a course to Mineralnye Vody instead of Aktau. Notably, the air traffic controller did not suggest an alternative airport, relying solely on the crew’s requests.
It should be recalled that Dmitry Yadrov, the head of Rosaviatsiya, released a video statement claiming that the “Cover” plan had been implemented at Grozny airport and there was dense fog. He stated that the captain of the Azerbaijani Airlines aircraft made two unsuccessful landing attempts in Grozny. According to Yadrov, the captain was offered other airports after these attempts but allegedly chose to head to Aktau.
