A Ural Airlines Airbus A320 carrying 170 passengers and crew was forced to make an emergency landing in a field in Siberia's Novosibirsk region after a hydraulics failure. No injuries were reported.
The aircraft was en route from Sochi to Omsk when its hydraulic systems failed, prompting the pilot to select a landing site near the village of Kamenka. Russia's aviation agency Rosaviatsia confirmed the unscheduled landing occurred in the early hours of Tuesday.
Ural Airlines CEO Sergei Skuratov denied that the plane caught fire, attributing scorch marks seen in social media images to dirt. He insisted that all spare parts used on the airline's aircraft are certified, despite difficulties posed by Western sanctions.
Russian aviation experts questioned the crew's decision to land in a field, noting that backup systems exist. Pilot Andrei Litvinov told Gazeta.ru that there are three hydraulic systems and one electric system on the A320, arguing that a field landing was unnecessary and endangered lives.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges for Russian airlines, which have faced sanctions-related shortages of spare parts since the invasion of Ukraine. In March, a Ural Airlines official warned that the carrier might have to cannibalise aircraft for parts within months.
Rosaviatsia is investigating the emergency landing, and the crew has been suspended pending the outcome. The aircraft, approximately 20 years old, holds an airworthiness certificate valid until the end of next year.
