On September 12, 2023, Ural Airlines’ domestic flight experienced a hydraulics problem that required an emergency landing.The Ural Airlines Airbus A320 was traveling from Sochi, Russia, to Omsk, Russia, when the incident took place.
The U6-1383 flight carried 165 persons, including passengers and crew. It was scheduled to land in Omsk, but a hydraulic malfunction occurred during the final approach.
Emergency Landing: Ural Airlines Flight U6-1383’s Dramatic Ordeal
Therefore, they initiated a go-around and started diverting to Novosibirsk. However, concerns emerged as the aircraft, approximately 180 kilometers from Novosibirsk and operating at about 6,000 feet, approached the city.
The crew feared running out of fuel before arriving at the alternate airport. They made the challenging decision to make an emergency landing in an open field close to the village of Kamenka.
Fortunately, no fatalities or serious injuries were reported among the passengers. Nevertheless, the aircraft’s landing gear and wings sustained damage during the landing.
Following the incident, the CEO of Ural Airlines explained at a press conference that the aircraft’s green hydraulic system failed during the approach to Omsk.
The governor of Omsk also stated that the crew was concerned that the runway in Omsk, which measures 8,200 feet (2.5 kilometers), may not have been long enough for a safe landing.
The hydraulics malfunction affected the operation of the aircraft’s spoilers and flaps, thereby increasing the required landing distance.
The pilots diverted to Novosibirsk, whose runway is 11,800 feet (3.6 kilometers) long. However, some obstacles made it difficult to reach Novosibirsk.
The aircraft was flying with its landing gear ports open, which increased fuel consumption, and high headwinds further complicated the situation. Realizing they could not reach Novosibirsk, the crew decided to land with the landing gear extended in a wheat field.
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Aging Gracefully: Ural Airlines’ Resilient Airbus A320-200
The involved Airbus A320-200 is 19 years old, having been produced in February 2004 and leased to Ural Airlines in 2013.
The aircraft has been in use by the airline and has not been returned to lessors. It is part of the fleet of Ural Airlines, which comprises 23 A320-200s out of 52 aircraft.
Despite the dramatic landing, the aircraft appeared to have sustained no external damage, and it was still vertical on its landing gear when emergency personnel arrived.
A regional command center was established to assist the passengers affected by the incident.
This included organizing an An-26 rescue aircraft and vehicles for additional transportation and assistance.
The Governor of Omsk and CEO of Ural Airlines praised the safe emergency landing, but aviation authorities have investigated the incident.
In addition, the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal investigation into potential violations of air transport safety regulations.
This incident is comparable to one in August 2019 when another Ural Airlines-operated aircraft landed in a cornfield near Moscow after an avian strike caused a dual-engine failure.
All passengers and crew survived, and the commander was lauded as a hero.
However, experts suggested that the situation could have been handled more effectively, citing psychological tension contributing to the crew’s inconsistent and disorderly actions.
The flight’s commander denied these claims.
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