What is known about the crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 of the 67 people on board

Some things to know about confrontation and speculation about a possible cause:

How did the plane crash?

Azerbaijani 190's Emberer Airlines was on its way from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku to the Russian town of Grozny in the Northern Caucasus on Wednesday, when I slipped for reasons that are not yet completely clear. He crashed while trying to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after flying east across the Caspian Sea.

The plane crashed off the coast about two miles [3 km] from Aktau. The images of mobile phones moving on the Internet seemed to show the plane by making a steep descent before hitting the ground and blowing into the fire.

Rescue teams have taken 29 survivors to hospital.

How did Azerbaijan react?

Azerbaijan held a day of nationwide mourning Thursday. National flags were lowered across the country, traffic across the country stopped at noon, and signals were heard by ships and trains.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the weather had forced the plane to change from planned course.

What do they say about a possible cause?

The authorities in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia say they are investigating the accident. Emberer told the Associated Press in a statement that the company is “ready to help all relevant authorities”, Klankosova.tv broadcast.

Russia's Civil Aviation Authority, Rosaviatsia, said preliminary information showed that pilots were diverted to Aktau after a bird attack led to an emergency on board.

Some commentators claimed that holes seen in the tail of the plane photographed after the crash might have been put under fire by Russian air defense systems that avoided a Ukrainian - afraid attack.

Osprey Flight Billions, a UK-based aviation safety firm, warned its clients that “flighting of Azerbaijani Airlines had probably collapsed from a Russian military air defence system”.