Ural Airlines' Airbus A320 forced to make emergency landing in wheat field

Sep 27 2023 Travel trends

An Airbus A320 operated by the Russian airline Ural Airlines was faced with the possibility of running out of fuel, leading its crew to execute an emergency landing in a wheat field. This incident bears a resemblance to a similar event that occurred just a few years ago.

Flight U6-1383 departed Sochi Airport slightly after midnight, with a minor delay. Its destination was Omsk, a city in Russia, and it was carrying holidaymakers from the Black Sea coastal town. The flight proceeded normally until the Airbus A320's cockpit crew began their approach to the Siberian city's airport on Tuesday morning, September 12th. It was then that they noticed a sudden hydraulic failure, as confirmed by the airline.

This hydraulic issue rendered the aircraft incapable of moving its slats and flaps, thus extending the required landing distance. Instead of heading for Omsk, with its 2,500-meter runway, the crew made the decision to land at the larger Novosibirsk Airport, boasting a runway length of 3,600 meters.

Searching for a suitable landing site

However, the A320, bearing the registration RA-73805, seemingly couldn't reach Novosibirsk either. According to the aviation channel Aviatorshina, the crew reported en route that they were running out of fuel and urgently needed to land. Simultaneously, they activated the transponder code 7700, indicating an in-flight emergency.

From the cockpit, the Ural Airlines crew scanned the surroundings for a suitable landing area, a detail confirmed by Russia's aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya. They found an open wheat field near the village of Kamenka, approximately 200 kilometers west of Novosibirsk. Twenty minutes after transmitting the distress signal, the Ural Airlines crew successfully brought the Airbus A320 down onto the ground.

Not the first time for Ural Airlines

According to local authorities, the fuselage of the nearly 20-year-old Airbus A320 from Ural Airlines remained intact during the emergency landing in the wheat field. The 167 people on board, including 23 children and six crew members, also emerged without injuries. Two passengers were sent to the hospital with bruises, while two others were treated on-site for high blood pressure and an asthma attack.

Ural Airlines is no stranger to such scenarios. In 2019, pilots from the Russian carrier executed an emergency landing in a cornfield following bird strikes and engine failure, also without any fatalities or severe injuries.