Hokuma Aliyeva, 33, was a flight attendant on board the Azerbaijan Airlines flight who died when it crashed in Kazakhstan after appearing to have been hit by a Russian missile
Azerbaijan Airlines passenger sends wife video message before crash
A flight attendant tried to comfort passengers with four words before tragically dying on board the Azerbaijan Airlines flight that may have been shot down by a Russian missile.
Hokuma Aliyeva, 33, was one of 38 people who were killed when the plane crashed in Kazakhstan as it attempted to land. It had been travelling from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny in Chechnya, Russia, where it appears it may have been struck.
Captain Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov have been praised for valiantly trying to save the plane, managing to fly it out of Russian airspace and 29 people survived when it crashed in Kazakhstan. Both pilots died as did Ms Aliyeva who was heard over the tannoy trying to keep people calm on board during the terrifying moments before it crash landed.
In a clip she can be heard saying: “Everything will be fine.” Her family have now paid tribute saying “she always told us to be proud of her”. Subkhonkul Rahimov, a passenger from Yekaterinburg who survived the crash, also told how courageous was Ms Aliyeva.
“The flight attendant who was closer to the pilots endured a horrifying situation … She showed determination and carried out all her functions and duties perfectly in such a situation,” Mr Rahimov told local media. “I remember when she told people to ‘stay calm’ – there was a man who was getting agitated – of course, it was important to stay calm. She spoke mainly in Azerbaijani and was calming people down.”
Ms Aliyeva had been working for Azerbaijan Airlines since 2016 having become a flight attendant after studying law, said her family who described her as a “cheerful person”. They said: “She had visited many countries and always told us to be proud of her. Once, after returning from a trip, she said their plane almost crashed… This time, the crash happened, and my daughter couldn’t survive.”
Meanwhile, another air steward Zulfugar Asadov gave a vivid account of what happened on the doomed flight: “We departed for Grozny at 8:00am. As we approached for landing, we saw that the airport was covered in very thick fog. The captain began descending but had to abort the landing and circle around due to poor visibility, hoping the fog would clear. However, the second and third landing attempts also failed.”
The pilot decided to head to the nearest airport, he explained adding: “But at that moment, we heard a strange noise coming from outside the plane. I immediately went into the cabin with my female colleague Aydan Ragimli. We saw panic spreading among the passengers.”
He continued: “We reassured the passengers, telling them there was no need to worry, that everything was fine, and asked them to stay in their seats and fasten their seatbelts. At that moment, I was cut on the arm by an impact that occurred outside the plane.”
Captain Kshnyakin went on to try and land at Aktau in Kazakhstan. “In my opinion, the front landing gear was the first to touch the ground,” said Mr Asadov. “If the plane had touched down with both the front and rear landing gears at the same time, no one would have survived. When the front landing gear touched the ground, the plane broke into two pieces, and the front cockpit was torn off.
“I remained conscious despite bleeding heavily, but it was very difficult to breathe. Aydan Ragimli and I were lying near the door, and I tried to open it. Once the air entered the cabin, breathing became easier. We began helping passengers and evacuating with them. A rescue team was waiting outside. I called them because my hand injury was severe, and I had no strength left. I asked them to help evacuate the surviving passengers. I am grateful for their assistance.”
