December 5 marks the 29th anniversary of the deadliest aviation disaster in Azerbaijan's history. On this fateful day in 1995, AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) Flight 56, a Тu-134B passenger plane, took off from Nakhchivan, bound for Baku with 76 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
According to Report, tragedy struck just moments after takeoff when, at an altitude of 60 meters, one of the plane's engines failed. In a moment of confusion, the flight engineer mistakenly shut down the second, functioning engine. Faced with a dire situation, the pilot attempted an emergency landing, desperately trying to steer the aircraft away from residential areas. However, the plane entered a steep bank and rapidly lost altitude, ultimately making a forced landing in an open field in the Khatai (Sovetabad) district of Nakhchivan city. The aircraft struck power lines during the descent, igniting a devastating fire.
The catastrophic crash claimed the lives of 52 people, including four crew members, out of the 82 souls on board.