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Igor Ivanovich Kshnyakin (May 19, 1962, Baku – December 25, 2024, Aktau) — airplane captain, National Hero of Azerbaijan. Igor Kshnyakin is renowned for his heroic efforts to save passengers’ lives during the crash of an Embraer 190 aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines in 2024.

Life and Career

Igor Kshnyakin was born on May 19, 1962, in Baku. In 1982, he received his initial pilot training at the Sasovo Civil Aviation Flight School named after Soviet Union Hero Taran, specializing as a pilot. Additionally, in 1992, he graduated from the Russian State Hydrometeorological Institute with a degree in meteorology. Kshnyakin began his aviation career in 1982 as a second pilot of an An-2 aircraft with the Yevlakh United Aviation Detachment. On January 6, 1984, he joined the Zabrat United Aviation Detachment as a second pilot of an An-2 aircraft. By 1990, he was serving as a second pilot of a Yak-40 aircraft under the Azerbaijan Civil Aviation Administration. In 1994, he was promoted to captain of a Yak-40 aircraft, and in 1997, he became captain of the Yak-40 for Azerbaijan’s National Aviation Company, "Azal." In 1998, he transitioned to a second pilot position for the Tu-134 aircraft. By 2005, he was captain of an An-140 aircraft, and in 2008, he was elevated to captain of the ATR-42/72 aircraft. Starting June 3, 2013, after successfully completing training for Embraer-170/190 aircraft, he was appointed as a trainee pilot for the Embraer-170/190. On December 11, 2013, Kshnyakin became a captain of the Embraer-170/190 aircraft within the Flight Services Department of Azerbaijan Airlines. Kshnyakin was a highly experienced airline captain with a career spanning decades at Azerbaijan Airlines. He logged 15,000 flight hours, including 11,200 hours as captain. According to Azerbaijan Airlines, he had extensive expertise with modern aviation technologies. He is survived by two daughters.

Death

On December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines was struck by a Russian-made Pantsir-S1 missile system. Despite the failure of the control systems, Igor Kshnyakin and co-pilot Aleksandr Kalyaninov managed to steer the plane towards an area near Aktau International Airport over the Caspian Sea. During the emergency landing near Aktau, Kazakhstan, the plane crashed. The aircraft carried 67 people: 62 passengers and 5 crew members. Twenty-nine individuals survived the crash. Igor Kshnyakin lost his life during the crash. His heroism was widely honored in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and international aviation circles. Experts described him and his team as having "entered history as heroes." Kshnyakin was buried on December 29, 2024, at the Second Alley of Honor.

Awards

On December 29, 2024, by the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Igor Ivanovich Kshnyakin was posthumously awarded the title of "National Hero of Azerbaijan."

1. "Təyyarə qəzasında həlak olan ekipaj üzvlərinə Azərbaycanın Milli Qəhrəmanı adı verilib". Report İnformasiya Agentliyi (in Azerbaijani). Report.az. 2024-12-29.
2. "Təyyarə qəzasında həyatını itirən kapitan pilot İqor Kşnyakinin xatirəsi yad edilir". Baku.tv. 2024-12-27.
3. "Pilotun qohumu: Kşnyakin İqorun xatirəsi ailəsinin və dostlarının qəlbində daim yaşayacaq". 2024-12-27.
4. ^ "Milli Qəhrəman İqor Kşnyakin kimdir? - DOSYE". Pravda.az. Retrieved 2024-12-29. Cite error: The named reference ":0" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
5. "Qəzaya uğrayan təyyarə son yoxlamadan nə vaxt keçmişdi? - RƏSMİ AÇIQLAMA". Oxu.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2024-12-29.
6. "İqor Kşnyakin kimdir? – Özünü sərnişinlərə fəda edən QƏHRƏMAN". Lent.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2024-12-29.
7. "Qəhrəman pilotun hər iki qızı milli komandamızın üzvüdür". Oxu.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2024-12-29.
8. Bagirova, Naila (2024-12-26). "Russian air-defense system downed Azerbaijan plane, sources say". Reuters.com.
9. Fouda, Malek (2024-12-25). "Russian air defence missile incident emerges as likely cause of Azerbaijan Airlines crash". www.euronews.com. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
10. "Crew members who died in plane crash buried in 2nd Alley of Honor". Report News Agency. 2024-12-29. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
11. ""Azərbaycan Hava Yolları" Qapalı Səhmdar Cəmiyyətinə məxsus "Embraer 190" tipli sərnişin təyyarəsi Bakı–Qroznı (Rusiya Federasiyası) reysini yerinə yetirərkən baş vermiş qəza zamanı yüksək peşəkarlıq və şücaət göstərmiş şəxslərin təltif edilməsi haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin Sərəncamı" (in Azerbaijani). 2024-12-29. Archived from the original on 2024-12-29. Retrieved 2024-12-29.

• 1962 births
• 2024 deaths
• National Heroes of Azerbaijan
• Burials at II Alley of Honor