The Utair airline crew flying from Vnukovo to Baku faced a startling lapse in automation when the autopilot was not activated. As a result, the aircraft began a rapid and dangerous descent, according to details circulated by the Telegram channel Basis.
The event occurred on February 16 of this year, yet information about it surfaced only four days later. Sources indicate that the Boeing 737 suddenly lost altitude while over the Skolkovo area, dropping from about 1,500 meters to roughly 800 meters in a span of 40 seconds. This abrupt change in altitude happened despite clear skies not being present on that route plan, and it set off a chain of concerns about how quickly a jet can descend when automation is not engaged.
Because the weather was cloudy that day, the flight crew did not immediately perceive the severity of the decline. The situation only came into focus when air traffic controllers established contact with the pilots and urged them to execute corrective actions. The crew then began implementing a recovery maneuver under the supervision of the dispatchers, attempting to stabilize the aircraft and regain a safe flight path.
Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation authority, launched an investigation after becoming aware of the incident. The probe revealed that the aircraft remained effectively out of the pilots’ control for a period of 73 seconds. During this interval, the plane experienced three sharp descents, each one raising concerns about possible injuries to passengers and crew, as well as potential damage to the airframe or onboard systems. The findings underscored the critical role of autopilot systems in maintaining a stable flight profile, particularly in conditions where visual cues may be limited or misleading.
Beyond the immediate flight safety questions, officials examined the pilot’s history for potential contributing factors. It was noted that the captain had previously spent time in South Africa, including an incident described as necessitating an emergency landing after a cobra was encountered under the pilot’s shirt at an altitude of about three kilometers. This anecdote, while unusual, was considered in reviewing the pilot’s experiences and any related stress responses or unusual scenarios encountered during flight duty. While the relevance of that memory to current operations is a matter for investigators, it has attracted attention in public discussions about cockpit discipline and crew wellness.
Industry observers emphasize that autopilot disengagement can occur for a range of reasons, from manual hand-flying maneuvers to misunderstandings of air traffic control intentions. In this case, the absence of automatic stabilization compounded by cloudy conditions created a narrow margin for correcting the plane’s trajectory. Investigators will likely scrutinize crew communication, instrument readings, and the alerting procedures used by dispatchers to determine whether any procedural improvements could prevent a recurrence. The ultimate objective of the inquiry is to clarify how a modern airliner can transition from controlled flight to a steep descent and then be brought back under control without compromising safety.
In the broader context of aviation safety, this incident serves as a reminder that automation remains a critical tool for maintaining steady flight, and that timely recognition of deviations by pilots, air traffic controllers, and airline operations teams is essential. Questions about training adequacy, cockpit resource management, and adherence to standard operating procedures are likely to feature prominently in the final assessment. The aviation community will be watching closely to understand what lessons can be drawn from this event and how they might inform guidelines, checklists, and monitoring practices for flight crews operating under similar conditions in the future.
Ultimately, the incident underscores the ongoing balance in modern aviation between human judgment and automated systems. While aircraft designs increasingly rely on sophisticated autopilots to sustain precise flight paths, pilots retain a central role in interpreting airspace, responding to unexpected changes, and maintaining situational awareness. The investigation’s conclusions will aim to ensure that automation enhances safety without introducing new risks, and that crews are supported with clear procedures to detect and recover from automation-related anomalies in real time.