First Deputy Chief of Special Risky Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES), General-major Maharram Hasanov who participated in the search of crashed MiG-29 aircraft of Air Defense Forces of Azerbaijan gave an interview to the “Azərbaycan Ordusu” newspaper. General spoke about the course and details of the search in his interview. APA presents the interview.
- Mr General, there are some crashes that couldn’t be prevented, they can only be investigated how they happened. Reasons of the crash of MiG-29 would only be investigated after finding the aircraft.
- Yes, this was a very terrible accident. Crash of the aircraft of the country that is involved in the war and the fate of the pilot – were the two aspects that the state was focusing on separately. We gathered in the estimated area of crash as soon as we got information about the incident. Search activities in the sea have its own specifications. We involved the most highly qualified and skilled divers in this important task of the state importance. Six out of six divers were professionals. Each of them possesses international certificates and got a diver training course at the Turkish Underwater Training Center Command. The difficulty of the operation was related to two factors. The place of the crash was not known. Great service of the Air Defence Force for the identification of the place of the crash should be noted. Direction, speed and flight altitude of the aircraft in the moment of disappearing from radar screens were very important in the estimation of the area of the fall of aircraft.
-The difficulty of the operation was not only related to this.
- Of course. The search was conducted in a very large area. Vessels of Naval Force and SOCAR were also involved in this work. Furthermore, it is decided to use the help of fraternal Turkey. By the way, I would like to thank the members of the rescue team of the Turkish Naval Forces on behalf of the structure that I represent for their big fraternal assistance.
The weather condition was not available for normally conducting the search. Sometimes, the altitude of the wave was reaching two meters, which was very risky for divers working in 20-23 meters of depth. The search of the diver team in the sea was led by Lieutenant Elmar Aghasiyev. Technical means of Turkish search team were used and I should note that it was very important for successful result of the operation. First marks were revealed by the vessel crew at the estimated area. Then divers dived in that coordinate. First found parts showed that the right area was chosen for the search. Divers were checking even small objects which may seem unimportant from the first sight. They knew that there was not an unimportant thing in such searches. Firstly, divers could drag a small part of the aircraft to the surface of the water. This was a part of the wing and was stimulus for the continuation of the search. I should note diver could stay averagely 20-25 minutes under the water in such searches. This makes difficulties to conduct search and carefully trace area on approximately 25 meters. Our divers – senior lieutenant Javanshir Nasrullayev, Lieutenant Elmar Aghasiyev, military servicemen Elkhan Isgandarov, Jafar Jafarov and Orkhan Allahverdiyev demonstrated true heroism.
- Mr. General, please, could you give more extensive information about the search process?
- In such weather conditions, it was likely that divers could suffer. High professionalism, exceptional qualities, devotion to the state and statehood surpassed these probabilities ... Robots submerged in water, being controlled, can operate underwater for more than 2 hours. We received information about the object identified by the robot. Experts came to the conclusion that this object is precisely a “black box”. At that time there were huge waves at sea. It was impossible to wait until the sea to calm down. The underwater current could move the black box away from where it was discovered. The leader of the group of divers, Lieutenant Elmar Aghasiyev, entrusted this important task to ensign Elkhan Isgandarov. At such moments, professionalism alone is not enough. Persistence and patriotism are also required. In extremely dangerous conditions, ensign Elkhan Iskanderov was immersed in water. We did not find the opportunity to realize how much time had passed, we received the information that Elkhan found the “black box”. It was a great success. On the territory, a place that was not exactly known, at such a level, searches and such a valuable finding - of course, this was a great result. By the way, then Elkhan was asked what feelings he experienced when he saw that the object to whose coordinate he was floating was a “black box”. “I experienced the same feelings as a soldier who accurately fulfils an order. I would have pulled out the “black box” from there at all costs,” he replied. Searches continued in the direction of finding the pilot. In fact, in such searches the sequence is not determined, the find is taken as a guide and the searches are continued... I knew that Colonel-Lieutenant Rashad Atakishiyev was a professional, exemplary, patriotic officer. I watched with great pride the flights of Rashad both in the tactical flight exercises of the Air Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey on the motto “TurAz Qartalı”, and in parades on the occasion of the formation of the Azerbaijani army and the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from occupation. His death greatly shocked me, like everyone else. It was a terrible tragedy, but we had to find the body of our pilot as a little consolation in exchange for his service in the name of the Motherland ... The body of Colonel - lieutenant Rashad Atakishiyev was found…
-Mr General, you informed about the difficulties of the searching process. If we take all of these into consideration, can we called the works of divers, in general, the search process as heroism?
- Yes, such an accident at an unknown location, bad weather condition, these issues should be taken into consideration and these unambiguously confirm that both search and the result of crashed MiG-29 plane is real heroism. After completion of the searching process, I learned in the meeting with divers that the divers have worked as a real patriot, so, each of them has not only carried out occupational duty, but also moral duty with great heroism. I am proud of them as an officer. They are ready for the fights on the liberation of our lands from occupation under the order of Supreme Commander, as well. Employees of the Special Risk Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations fulfilled their duty requirements with extraordinary responsibility. This responsibility is a service to the motherland. Emergency situations are a frontline of Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as employees of Special Risk Rescue Service and each of them serve in the frontline with determination, perseverance, dedication and, most importantly, love for the motherland.
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