Pilot killed in Kazakhstan plane crash studied at Kropyvnytskyi Flight Academy

Aleksandr Kalyaninov, the co-pilot killed in the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, was a graduate of the Kropyvnytskyi Flight Academy in Ukraine.

Serhii Nedilko, head of the Ukrainian State Flight Academy, told this to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"On December 25, 2024, an Embraer E-190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL) crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, while on a Baku-Grozny flight. Among those killed was co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov, born in 1992," he said.

Kalyaninov earned a master's degree in aviation transport on April 6, 2021, from the Ukrainian State Flight Academy (then part of the National Aviation University). He specialized in "Flight Operations of Aircraft" under the Faculty of Flight Operations and qualified as both a pilot engineer and a research engineer.

From a young age, Kalyaninov aspired to follow in his father's footsteps and become a pilot.

During the crash, Kalyaninov and captain Igor Kshnyakin reportedly saved dozens of lives.

According to Caliber.Az, citing reliable government sources, the plane, en route from Baku to Grozny, was likely attacked by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system as it neared Grozny. This conclusion is based on preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation.

The passenger plane, carrying 67 people, crashed near Aktau in western Kazakhstan. Of those on board, 38 lost their lives.

First photo: media.az