Ural Airlines Makes Emergency Landing in Russia After Fuel Concerns
A Ural Airlines flight flying from Sochi to Omsk was forced to make an emergency landing in a field in Russia’s Novosibirsk region on Tuesday. The pilot made the decision to land after fearing that the aircraft did not have enough fuel to reach an airport.
According to reports from Russian news agencies cited by Reuters, the plane had 159 passengers on board at the time of the emergency landing. Ural Airlines CEO Sergey Skuratov explained that a failure in the aircraft’s green hydraulic system occurred as it approached Omsk, causing increased fuel consumption. The flight commander then realized that there might not be enough fuel to safely land at Novosibirsk Airport, prompting the emergency landing in the field.
Images released by Reuters showcased the plane on the ground with its emergency slides deployed. Russia’s aviation agency stated that the landing was executed on a preselected site near the village of Kamenka, and all passengers were being housed in the nearest village.
In response to the incident, Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation, as reported by The Moscow Times. However, Skuratov dismissed the idea that the Airbus A320 encountered technical difficulties as a result of spare parts shortages caused by Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
“For Airbus servicing, we’ve had the ability to perform all kinds of maintenance,” Skuratov assured the Russian media website RBC News.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries following the emergency landing. The Ural Airlines incident serves as a reminder of the importance of proper fuel planning and maintenance protocols in aviation safety.