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That Russian Airliner Shoot-Down Was Even Worse Than It Looked
PJ Media ^ | 12/26/2024 | Stephen Green

Posted on 12/26/2024 5:27:08 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Azerbaijan wants Moscow to admit to an "attack" on a national airliner on Christmas day that left 38 dead after it crashed in Kazakhstan. "The Azerbaijani government demands official recognition, a formal apology, and accountability for those responsible for the attack," according to an Azeri Times report translated by Visegrád 24.

There were 17 survivors, including 14 passengers and three crewmembers. Video taken of the crash indicates that the pilots were relying entirely on the engines to maneuver the aircraft. 

Various reports indicate that Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 lost hydraulic controls following an explosion near the rear of the aircraft, indicative of a small surface-to-air missile like those fired by Russia's Pantsir-S air defense system. Survivors heard an explosion and reported shrapnel flying through the Embraer 190AR, a small regional jetliner manufactured in Brazil. 

The flight originated in Baku, Azerbaijan, on its way to Grozny in the Russian Federation's Chechnya Republic but was re-routed to Makhachkala, also in Russia, due to fog. However, the plane diverted again just before reaching Makhachkala and headed east across the Caspian Sea toward Kazakhstan in Central Asia. 

Another video showing the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 pic.twitter.com/Ze5pQ7Grv9— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) December 25, 2024

Before getting to why J2-8243 turned east instead of landing, let me remind you that it's not the war crime; it's the cover-up. 

Honestly, I used the phrase "war crime" only to dismiss it. What we have here looks more like a case of "war suckitude." Russian air defenses were on heightened alert due to a Ukrainian drone attack, and some Russian air defense soldier with an itchy trigger finger seemed to have made a gruesome mistake.

(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: airline; azerbaijan; russia; shootdown
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1 posted on 12/26/2024 5:27:08 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Those pilots were working the impossible and they largely succeeded.

Amazing.


2 posted on 12/26/2024 5:28:39 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind


Those are typical Phugoid oscillations, they must have lost all hydraulics and tried to steer ( stay alive) with engine thrust only.

And yet almost half of the Pax survived.

True heroes.

May their wonderful souls rest in peace.

The Pilots were magnificent!
3 posted on 12/26/2024 5:32:15 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Sep 1, 1983 - USSR shot down KE007, The Kremlin denied it, suppressed evidence & lied, only releasing it years after the USSR fell.

Jul 17, 2014 - Russia shot down MH17. They deny it to this day, depriving victims of justice.


4 posted on 12/26/2024 5:34:30 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

“Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said preliminary information indicated that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird strike led to an emergency on board.”
CBS News today.

Another:
May have been avoiding a drone used in the conflict with Ukraine in the area.


Is this a lesson to stop the stupid drones over the US before somebody gets killed?


5 posted on 12/26/2024 5:41:53 PM PST by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: SeekAndFind

The MH17 was shotdown by a passenger plane choosing to fly directly over a relatively small warzone, comprising a tiny percent of ukraine. It would have taken 10 min fuel to divert around it, and most airlines at the time were diverting around the entire country.

A military cargo plane was shot down there in the same month, and another plane as well. At altitudes far above where typical handheld stinger type missiles can reach.

A lot of the crew fought with the airline about the decision to fly this route, and some of the surviving employees were the ones who chose to trade routes and shifts to avoid it.

Ukraine shot down an israeli airliner during a military excerise years before the war, but somehow they never got the same level of scrutiny


6 posted on 12/26/2024 5:42:32 PM PST by Mount Athos
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To: SeekAndFind

“ Before getting to why J2-8243 turned east instead of landing, let me remind you that it’s not the war crime; it’s the cover-up. ”
***************************************************

You’ve got it. This was clearly an airplane severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire during a drone attack that the ABM batteries were defending against. It was the classic “friendly fire”, unintended target situation. Why not admit that and have a thorough investigation as to what went wrong so as to minimize the possibility of future occurrences.


7 posted on 12/26/2024 5:44:42 PM PST by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MAX)
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To: SeekAndFind

I went to Sochi about 2007before Putin invaded Georgia. Aside from Indians running everything the Russians were all drunk by noon. If the Russians are manning their defenses no one should fly within 100 miles of that country


8 posted on 12/26/2024 5:48:06 PM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: SeekAndFind

They did manage to land almost level with a very survivable rate of decent. If the plane was having serious control problems, that is some good flying.


9 posted on 12/26/2024 5:49:04 PM PST by McCarthysGhost
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To: SeekAndFind

Didn’t our US Navy shoot down a civilian airliner over the Persian Gulf about 20 years ago?


10 posted on 12/26/2024 6:51:56 PM PST by oldplayer
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To: frank ballenger
Is this a lesson to stop the stupid drones over the US before somebody gets killed?

The lesson is, if there is one, that one shouldn't try to shoot the stupid drones down because a civilian airliner might be hit instead.
11 posted on 12/26/2024 6:52:30 PM PST by Chad_the_Impaler
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To: Chad_the_Impaler

True.


12 posted on 12/26/2024 6:58:01 PM PST by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: oldplayer

In the middle 80s.


13 posted on 12/26/2024 7:27:24 PM PST by Mouton (A 150MT hit may not solve our problems now but is a good start. )
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To: oldplayer

35 years


14 posted on 12/26/2024 8:03:25 PM PST by Hammerhead
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To: SeekAndFind

Since there was an ongoing drone attack by Ukraine ongoing in the area, I am struck by the “bird strike” claim. At the same time, there was likely active AD so that is a possibility, as well. Hopefully, this will get sorted out after an investigation and we will find out the truth. Once again, though, flying into an active conflict zone carries some pretty severe risks


15 posted on 12/26/2024 8:49:39 PM PST by tballard56
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To: SeekAndFind
"Russian air defenses were on heightened alert due to a Ukrainian drone attack"
16 posted on 12/26/2024 8:55:52 PM PST by McGruff
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To: Organic Panic

That sounds gross given the recent F-18 incidents in the Red Sea. There are no Indians in Sochi.


17 posted on 12/26/2024 9:06:23 PM PST by NorseViking
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To: oldplayer

USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian airliner around ‘87/’88.


18 posted on 12/26/2024 9:40:24 PM PST by skepsel ("A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime", Mark Twain.)
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To: NorseViking

There were lots of Indians with hotels and restaurants. General labor too. An Indian hotel owner sponsored my tourist visa.


19 posted on 12/26/2024 10:19:31 PM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: NorseViking

PS.... I only went to Russia to say I did. I had a business trip in Tbilisi and took the trip over so maybe the Indians just work the tourist areas. I saw them everywhere.


20 posted on 12/26/2024 10:26:35 PM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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