Several passenger plane crashes have occurred worldwide this year, including a Wednesday morning Azerbaijan Airlines wreck that has left dozens feared dead.

The second black box has been found at the plane crash site near Aktau and handed over to the investigation department, according to a Kazakh official from transport department on Thursday. The Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

The Embraer 190 was traveling to Grozny, Russia, but crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people onboard. Investigators are focusing on Russian air defense as the likely cause.

"We can clearly say today that the plane was shot down by Russia," President Ilham Aliyev said in a televised statement

The probe into the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan is examining the conduct of air traffic controllers after the aircraft encountered difficulty, a source said.

Azerbaijan's president accused Russia of trying to cover up its role in a plane crash that killed 38 people. Preliminary results of Azerbaijan’s investigation into the crash indicated that a missile from a Russian air-defense system hit the aircraft.

On Christmas Day in Kazakhstan, a tragedy claimed the lives of 38 people when an Azerbaijan Airlines plane, flight number 8243, crashed during an emergency landing near the city of Aktau. Despite the quick response of rescue services,

The black box from the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan, believed to have been caused by a Russian missile, is being sent to Brazil for investigation, Kazakh authorities reported on Dec. 29. Kazakhstan’s decision aligns with Azerbaijan's call for a transparent probe into the crash,