 |
| Picture TK Moskva 24 |
A Ural Airlines Airbus A321 has made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Moscow after flying into a flock of birds, suffering multiple bird strikes in its engines.
According to local news sources, some twenty-three people have been injured in the crash landing and are described as being "in serious or fair condition". The local health authority says that five children are included in those taken to hospital.
The jet was carrying 233 passengers and crew onboard operating a flight from Moscow to Simferopol in Crimea when the incident took place. The Russian Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia said the plane landed in a cornfield about a kilometre (0.62 miles) from the runway at Zhukovsky International Airport, with its engines off and landing gear retracted.
A passenger on the flight told local state-run media how the aircraft started to shake not long after takeoff, "Five seconds later, the lights on the right side of the plane started flashing and there was a smell of burning. Then we landed and everyone ran away,".
 |
| Picture TK Moskva 24 |
Ural Airlines issued the following statement: "When the plane taking off a flight to Simferopol from Zhukovsky took off, there were numerous birds falling into both engines. Both engines failed. Board made an emergency landing. Thanks to the professionalism of the crew and their coordinated actions, the landing took place without tragic consequences. There were 226 passengers in the cabin, no one was injured during boarding, passengers were evacuated and are currently in the airport terminal. Passengers at the time of flight delay are provided with all the required services in accordance with the Federal Aviation Rules. The airline makes maximum use of all reserves for the speediest departure of passengers to their destinations and the restoration of flight schedules." translated from Russian.
A full investigation is already underway and many are praising the skills of the pilots for bringing the aircraft safely down, without a fatality. Some in the local media are comparing it to the US Airways jet that landed on the Hudson River in New York following a bird strike that took out both engines in 2009. Local media is calling this emergency crash landing as "miracle over Ramensk".
Ural Airlines flight U6178 from Moscow to Simferopol made an emergency landing in corn field (!) shortly after takeoff from Zhukovsky airport. All 233 on board are alive.— Vasily Kuznetsov (@RuAviaPhotog) August 15, 2019
Source 112 TG channell. pic.twitter.com/3jI4l7dZJi
Recommended for you...
