Dr. Anatoly Kostylev, head of the Department of Flight Safety in Civil Aviation at St. Petersburg State University, offered a professional assessment of the Airbus A320 incident near Novosibirsk. He suggested that the aircraft, which made an emergency landing in a field, might have been better accommodated at Omsk airport. Kostylev spoke with NSN, expressing surprise at the decision to move the landing to Novosibirsk and emphasizing the need for a careful review of the actions taken by air traffic control and crew.
According to dispatch records, the Ural Airlines Airbus A320 was en route from Sochi to Omsk when fuel levels dropped to critically low levels. Officials noted that the sole runway at Omsk Airport might have been unavailable at the time, which contributed to the decision to divert and eventually land in the field after the aircraft could not reach a neighboring facility.
Kostylev remarked that the reaction to the route change raised questions about the sequence of events. He noted that the decision to divert should be weighed against the aircraft’s fuel state, adding that it is unusual for a landing to be prohibited when an immediate emergency exists aboard a flight. His comments reflected the expectation that authorities would thoroughly examine the emergency and response measures taken by the flight crew and the air traffic team.
The aviation expert pointed out that hydraulic issues alone could not fully account for the emergency scenario. He highlighted the hydraulic system’s redundancy as a critical factor, while also calling attention to the possibility of other contributing elements. Kostylev suggested that the investigation would examine cockpit decisions and crew actions, recognizing the importance of a comprehensive inquiry in such cases. He acknowledged the role of the Investigation Committee in overseeing the process and thanked those involved for prioritizing passenger safety during the landing in an open area.
Yuri Sytnik, a respected figure in Russian aviation and former flight director at Vnukovo Airlines, agreed that hydraulics were not the sole cause of the emergency. He recalled that aircraft maintainers use multiple hydraulic circuits and backup systems to manage failures, underscoring the complexity of in-flight systems. Sytnik offered a cautious reflection on the decision-making process, noting that flight crews operate under instructions and that the ultimate choice rests with the captain. Time would reveal the reasons behind selecting Novosibirsk as the landing site.
At the time of the incident, there were 159 passengers on board, including 23 children. Airline leadership explained that the emergency stemmed from a hydraulic system fault. Latest reports indicated that some passengers traveled by train to reach Omsk, illustrating the disruption caused by the diversion and landing sequence.
Pilot Damir Yusupov, who previously landed a similar Airbus A320 in an open field in 2019, offered a perspective from the flight deck. The Ural Airlines crew, now the subject of careful review, earned praise for maintaining calm and ensuring a controlled approach during the emergency. The incident has prompted ongoing scrutiny by aviation authorities to improve safety and preparedness for future events.