Ural Airlines Airbus A320-214 plane crash
Kamenka, Russia
Updated on
The A320-200 operated by Ural Airlines took off from Sochi, Russia, for a passenger flight to Omsk, Russia. 159 passengers and 6 crewmembers were onboard. The aircraft was on final approach to Omsk’s airport when the crew initiated a go around. The aircraft diverted to Novosibirsk, Russia, but ran out of fuel. The crew performed a forced landing on an open field near Kamenka (110 NM away from the diversion airport). There were no injuries. The aircraft received damage to the nose landing gear.
The flight had been normal until final approach into Omsk. The winds were gusting in Omsk, and as the aircraft was heavy, the captain considered the runway could be too limitative and did not take the risk to land. He initiated a go around. During the go around a hydraulic failure occurred: the green hydraulic system was lost, and while the landing gear was retracted, the nose gear doors remained open as result of insufficient hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic failure affects the brakes, spoilers, and flaps, thereby extending the required landing distance. The crew opted to divert to an airport boasting a longer runway, namely Novosibirsk Airport, which offers a generous 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) runway length.
The crew assessed they would have enough fuel to land in Novosibirsk. However, the opened nose landing gear doors led to increased drag, consequently raising fuel consumption. Additionally, strong headwinds further exacerbated fuel consumption. While en-route, the captain recognized that there would not be sufficient fuel to reach Novosibirsk, prompting a decision to perform an emergency landing in an open field with the landing gear extended (the crew used the emergency gear extension). The aircraft landed in an open field with only 5 minutes of fuel remaining. The aircraft landed successfully, and only the nose gear was broken.
Ural Airlines is currently on the blacklist of airlines banned from flying in the European Union.
