The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 that crashed on December 25 was hit by Pantsir-S missiles, the country’s government told Reuters.
The Russian air defense system is believed to be deployed near Grozny, the destination of flight J2-8243 from Baku.
According to the source, fragments of the missile were found in the wreckage of the aircraft.
A preliminary report by the investigation commission in Kazakhstan, where the jet crashed after attempting to land in Aktau, said the E190 lost all hydraulic pressure after being hit by two explosions while leaving Grozny.
According to the investigation, the pilots of the 4K-AZ65 aircraft attempted to land in Grozny twice with the help of the airport tower, since the GPS systems were not working – there would be interference with the signal in the region.
With no visibility, the crew decided to return to Baku, but while being vectored to a point northeast of Grozny, the jet was hit by an explosion and the hydraulic system lost pressure.
A rear service door opened and the plane experienced a depressurization. Soon after, a new bang was heard on the cockpit voice recorder.
The crew, without a clear idea of what had happened, even told the tower in Grozny that they had been struck by birds.
After evaluating alternatives, the Azerbaijan pilots decided to cross the Caspian Sea towards Aktau, using the engine throttles to keep the aircraft under control.
Despite the lack of hydraulic pressure, the E190 had its landing gear lowered and its flaps extended, but the pilots were unable to reach the runway at the Kazakh airport, crashing into a nearby area.
Despite the impact, 29 of the 67 occupants survived. The wreckage of the Embraer revealed several holes caused by shrapnel.
