Survivor of AZAL plane crash describes harrowing experience

A passenger who survived the crash of an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) in Kazakhstan has shared her harrowing account of the incident.

In a video released by the Telegram channel Mash, Christina, a survivor from Vladivostok, described the frightening events that unfolded during the flight, Caliber.Az reports.

Christina explained that the plane circled in the sky for about an hour before striking a bird. During this time, the flight attendants informed passengers that a hard landing was imminent and instructed them to brace themselves by ducking their heads to their knees. Passengers were also told to put on their masks and life jackets in preparation for the emergency landing. Christina recalled hearing a loud bang as the plane descended, which she believed was caused by the bird strike on the engine.

Because the pilots were not making announcements in Russian, Christina relied on her travel companion to translate the information. When the plane finally crashed to the ground, Christina lost consciousness. When she woke up, she found her leg trapped. Despite the injury, she was able to free herself and escape the wreckage.