09 December 2023 , 11:00
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A plane packed with passengers suddenly depressurised moments after take off, forcing its pilots into an emergency landing as it fell from the skies.
Oxygen masks deployed aboard the Airbus A319 inside the cabin, causing panic inside as children started screaming and others said prayers for a safe landing. Footage shot aboard the Rossiya airline aircraft showed the terrifying ordeal for the 111 people as the plane plunged, 20 minutes after take off from Mineralnye Vody to St Petersburg, as the pilots fought for control.
Thankfully, its skilled crew managed to bring it under control and it safely landed, amid cheers and shots of “bravo” from the passengers. It is currently unknown what caused the near-catastrophe.
Passengers onboard the flight panicked as the pilots brought the situation under control (mash)One passenger said: “We started to drop sharply. Everyone’s masks dropped down over their heads.” A man on board added: "Children were screaming, women were praying, everyone was stressed.” Another passenger told Fontanka news outlet: “It was very scary. I've never used a mask before. I had to.” Fire appliances and ambulances met the plane when it landed back on the runway as investigations got under way.
It comes as Russia is suffering an unprecedented spate of air incidents amid signs severe Western sanctions are hampering the servicing and maintenance of planes, with problems obtaining spare parts. Since the spring of 2022, airlines have been requiring staff not to enter equipment defects in flight log books, said one report.
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Another plane in Russia averted disaster when fires started shortly after take off (social media/e2w)A former Nordwind airline pilot said many pilots are now relying on “Russian luck.” In the first eight months of this year, there were 120 air accidents in Russia involving civil aircraft operated by Russian airlines. The number is more than double the number in recent years despite significantly fewer flights as a result of Putin’s war against Ukraine.
A day before the Airbus A310 incident, “micro-explosions” led to fires in both engines of a Boeing 737, which also caused an emergency landing. The S7 airline plane with 175 passengers was flying from Novosibirsk - Russia’s third largest city - to capital city Moscow. The fires started as the plane was on the runway taking off, said passengers.
Shot Media said: “While climbing, sparks and flames suddenly flew from both engines.” A day earlier a Tu-204 cargo aircraft suffered an engine “explosion” heard from the ground after takeoff from Ulan-Ude, also in Siberia. Footage showed the aircraft ablaze as it jettisoned fuel and made an emergency landing.
A woman witness Lyubov Pichueva said: “I heard a powerful explosion coming from above. At first I thought it was fireworks, but the sound was too strange. “It was very scary.”