Amanta Nagayeva was a resident of Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, a region in southern Russia with a history of conflict and insurgency. She came from a family affected by the Chechen Wars; her brother had reportedly disappeared three years before the attack, and her relatives believed he had been abducted by Russian security forces. This personal loss may have influenced her radicalization and ultimate decision to carry out a suicide bombing. No further information is publicly available about her personal life, education, or prior affiliations.

She was one of two female suicide bombers involved in the near-simultaneous destruction of two Russian commercial airliners on 24 August 2004. Both women were identified as Chechen and were believed to be recruited and directed by Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev, who later claimed responsibility for the attacks.

On the evening of 24 August 2004, Amanta Nagayeva boarded Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1303, a Tupolev Tu-134 aircraft traveling from Moscow to Volgograd. The plane departed Domodedovo International Airport at 22:30 local time. At 22:56, while cruising over Tula Oblast, communication with the aircraft was lost. The wreckage was later discovered, and all 43 people on board 34 passengers and 9 crew members were confirmed dead.

Flight recorder analysis showed that the aircraft was flying normally at an altitude of 8,100 meters (26,600 feet) when a sudden high-energy event occurred. The explosion was determined to have originated from seat row 19 on the right side of the cabin, the location associated with Nagayeva. The blast caused the fuselage to rupture, leading to a rapid in-flight breakup of the aircraft.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) later confirmed that traces of RDX, a powerful explosive, were found in the debris. Within days of the crash, Nagayeva was identified as the suicide bomber responsible. She had reportedly entered the airport with the help of accomplices and avoided standard security procedures through bribery.

The attack was part of a coordinated double suicide bombing involving a second plane, Siberia Airlines Flight 1047, which crashed minutes later under nearly identical circumstances, killing all 46 people on board. That attack was carried out by Satsita Dzhebirkhanova, another Chechen female bomber. Together, the twin bombings resulted in 90 fatalities.

Chechen militant Shamil Basayev later claimed responsibility for orchestrating both attacks, stating that the total operation had cost him only $4,000. The attacks were among a series of high-profile terrorist incidents in Russia in 2004, including the Moscow Metro bombing in February and the Beslan school siege that began one week later.