Russian pilot becomes "Hero of the Federation", American newspaper surprised

According to Sputnik news agency (Russia), in recent years, the Russian aviation industry has recorded 2 "landing miracles". Thanks to their skillful skills, Russian pilots have brought planes carrying hundreds of passengers to safe landing.

The A320 successfully landed in a field. Photo: CTV News

Miracle in the Wheat Fields

The latest incident took place yesterday (September 12). According to CTV News, a Russian passenger plane - with 170 passengers on board - successfully made an emergency landing in a field. No one was seriously injured.

Russian officials said the plane involved was an Airbus A320 operated by Ural Airlines, flying from the Black Sea resort of Sochi to the Omsk region in eastern Siberia.

According to Simple Flying, the aircraft is 19 years old. It was built in February 2004 and leased to Ural Airlines in 2013.

During the flight, the A320 crew reported a problem with the hydraulic system and asked the dispatcher to allow the plane to land at Tolmachevo airport in Novosibirsk – which has a longer runway.

However, the pilots later realized that they did not have enough fuel to fly to Tolmachevo so decided to land in a field about 200 km west of Novosibirsk.

No passengers on the plane were seriously injured, only two people needed medical assistance due to high blood pressure and some others had minor bruises.

Rescue workers at the scene of the A320 emergency landing. Photo: AP

Speaking more specifically about the situation that happened to the A320, the head of the Omsk region said that after realizing the problem with the hydraulic system, the A320 crew was concerned that the runway in Omsk was not long enough for a safe landing because it was only 2.5km long.

The resulting malfunction affected the operation of the spoiler and flaps, increasing the required landing distance for the aircraft.

So the pilots decided to go to Novosibirsk, which had a longer runway (3.6km). Initial calculations showed that the A320 had enough fuel to reach the alternative airport.

However, because the plane has to fly with the landing gear door open continuously, fuel is consumed faster.

In addition, strong headwinds further complicated the situation.

After realizing that it was impossible to fly to Novosibirsk, the crew decided to make an emergency landing in a wheat field.

Russian media published pictures of the A320 lying in a field with no visible signs of damage. Passengers praised the crew's skills and calmness.

The captain of the plane was Sergei Belov (32 years old), who came from a family where his father and grandfather were both pilots.

"The pilots are real heroes, they landed the plane right in the field!" - the head of the Omsk region told reporters, adding that all passengers on board the plane were taken to a temporary accommodation center.

Authorities are arranging transportation (buses or trains) to bring people home in the most convenient way, while Russian prosecutors are currently opening an investigation to clarify the cause of the incident.

Sergei Skuratov, CEO of Ural Airlines, denied reports that poor aircraft maintenance was the cause, and insisted that the company had maintained the safety of its fleet despite the difficult situation facing the Russian aviation industry due to Western sanctions.

'Miracle on the Hudson'

According to Sputnik, the incident with the A320 is reminiscent of the landing miracle of the A321 (also belonging to Ural Airlines) in 2019.

This is the second successful landing by the same airline in just four years. It can be said that Ural Airlines pilots have shown excellent skills in emergency situations.

The case of the A321 was hailed by the media as the "miracle in the cornfield".

Specifically, on August 15, 2019, after taking off from Zhukovsky airport on the outskirts of Moscow, the A321 piloted by Damir Yusupov - with 226 passengers on board - collided with a flock of seagulls at an altitude of 20-30 meters.

Pilot Yusupov's landing miracle is likened to the "miracle on the Hudson River" of years past.

The impact blocked the plane’s air intakes, causing the engines to fail. Yusupov said that when the plane’s first engine died, he had hoped to circle the airport and land normally.

However, the second engine shut down shortly afterwards, leaving Yusupov with no choice but to make an emergency landing in a nearby cornfield.

The landing was so successful that only one of the 233 people (including seven crew members) required hospitalization.

USA Today compared Yusupov's feat to the 2009 "miracle on the Hudson" of American pilot Chesley Sullenberger.

Mr. Sullenberger safely landed the plane in the Hudson River in New York after the plane's engines failed due to a bird strike.

Mr. Yusupov is an experienced Russian pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours. Notably, before entering pilot school at the age of 32, Yusupov was a lawyer.

He joined Ural Airlines after graduating in 2013 and only became a captain in 2018 - a year before the incident.

On August 16, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the pilots of the A321 the highest honor - "Hero of the Russian Federation" - for their courage in the face of a dangerous situation.

"People call me a hero, but to be honest, I don't feel like a hero, I just did what needed to be done, which was to save the plane, passengers and crew," said pilot Yusupov modestly.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/ky-tich-vang-danh-the-gioi-phi-cong-nga-tro-thanh-anh-hung-lien-bang-bao-my-kinh-ngac-192230913152348346.htm