There were traces of fire on the fuselage, but there was no actual fire.
Foto: Alexey Malgavko / REUTERS
Due to technical issues, a Russian passenger aircraft with 167 people on board has apparently made an emergency landing on a field in the Siberian region of Novosibirsk. According to Russian news agencies citing the regional civil defense, no one has been seriously injured. The passengers of the aircraft, including 23 children, have been accommodated in the nearest village, as reported by the Russian aviation authority.
Das Flugzeug vom Typ Airbus A320 der Fluggesellschaft Ural Airlines war demnach auf dem Flug von Sotschi am Schwarzen Meer nach Omsk in Sibirien gewesen.
Landing on the wheat field: deployed landing gear and emergency slides.
Foto: Alexey Malgavko / REUTERS
The machine experienced issues with its hydraulics, according to the governor of the Omsk region, Vitaly Chozenko, as reported by the state news agency Tass. According to Ural Airlines, the pilot declared an emergency during the flight and redirected to the more well-equipped Nowosibirsk airport instead of Omsk. However, there was not enough fuel for this, resulting in the machine ultimately landing with its landing gear deployed on a large wheat field.
The fuselage remained intact, there was no fire; and the 161 passengers and six crew members were able to exit the aircraft. Only a handful of people sought medical attention for minor injuries, it was reported. Footage released by the Ministry of Civil Protection shows a landed plane with visible emergency slides. There were also visible traces of fire on one side of the fuselage.
Despite the favorable outcome, the accident raises questions about the safety of flying in Russia. Due to Moscow’s war against Ukraine, manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing no longer supply Russian aircraft with spare parts – it is one of the most effective international sanctions. Russian airlines are forced to source parts from a gray import market or use their own aircraft as spare part depots.