Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217
2005 aviation accident
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Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217 was a scheduled passenger flight between Baku and Aktau, Kazakhstan that crashed into the Caspian Sea at ca. 22:40 on 23 December 2005.[1] The flight was operated by an Antonov An-140.
- Caspian Sea, near Nardaran, Azerbaijan
- 40°35′22.1″N 50°02′03.2″E
 4K-AZ48, the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 December 2005 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into water |
| Site |
|
 | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Antonov An-140-100 |
| Aircraft name | Yevlakh |
| Operator | Azerbaijan Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | J2217 |
| ICAO flight No. | AHY217 |
| Call sign | AZAL 217 |
| Registration | 4K-AZ48 |
| Flight origin | Baku Airport, Azerbaijan |
| Destination | Aktau Airport, Kazakhstan |
| Occupants | 23 |
| Passengers | 18 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 23 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Accident
Around five minutes after a night-time departure from Baku Airport, the crew reported a systems failure. Heading over the Caspian Sea at night without flight instruments made it difficult for the crew to judge their flight parameters. Whilst attempting to return to Baku, the aircraft crashed shortly afterwards on the shore of the Caspian Sea, killing all 23 passengers and crew on board.[2][3]
Aftermath
Azerbaijan Airlines suspended flights operated by its remaining Antonov An-140s and cancelled plans to order two more aircraft of the same make.[4]
Investigation
It seemed the aircraft had taken off "with caged gyro horizons".[5] Investigations from the Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company found that during the climb, the aircraft's three independent gyroscopes had failed and were not providing stabilised pitch, roll, heading, and altitude performance information to the crew.[6][7]
