The dramatic hours just before the plane crashed in Kazakhstan are revealed by the pilot’s dialogue with the control tower.

“Can’t perform, control lost” was the pilot’s last message according to a Daily Mail report.

It is noted that Azerbaijani government sources told Reuters that the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, which crashed in Aktau, was caused by a Russian surface-to-air missile.

The release of some of the crew’s conversations with the control tower show that they believed the aircraft collided with a flock of birds.

The dialogue with the control tower

At 8:12, the pilots reported: “Both GPSs lost” and requested assistance to return to Baku airport, from where it took off.

At 8:16, the pilot said, “We have a control failure, bird strike in the cabin. Clash with birds in the cabin (unintelligible)…”.

The response from EEK: “AXY8243, I understand, what kind of help do you need?”.

The pilot replied that he wished to return to Baku airport.

At 8:17, a minute later, the pilot announced that he was heading for Mineralnye Vody, an airfield in southern Russia.

The EEK asked the cockpit to perform a “left spin”. The pilot replied, “Can’t execute, control lost.”

At 8:19, the pilot said, “I can’t maintain 150, we have high cabin pressure.”

“AXY8243, I understand”, was the reply from EEK.

At 8:20, the flight’s scheduled arrival time, the pilot said, “Left 360, my aircraft is losing control.”

At 8:21, according to the leaked text, the crew decided to head for Makhachkala, an airport in Russia on the western shore of the Caspian Sea.

At 8:22, the pilots reported: “Hydraulics have now failed.”

Two minutes later, the pilot denied that he had declared an “emergency” and told EEK: “The aircraft is fine,” to which EEK replied: “It’s very difficult to hear you… tell me your height.”