Pilot Crash-Lands Russian Airliner in Cornfield after Bird Strike

MOSCOW (AP) — The captain of a Russian passenger jet was hailed as a hero Thursday for landing his plane in a cornfield after it collided with a flock of gulls seconds after takeoff, causing both engines to malfunction. While dozens of people sought medical assistance, only one was hospitalized. The event drew comparisons to the 2009 "Miracle on the Hudson," when a captain ditched his plane in New York's Hudson River after a bird strike disabled his engines. The Ural Airlines A321 carrying 226 passengers and a crew of seven hit the birds as it was taking off Thursday from Moscow's Zhukovsky airport en route for Simferopol, in Crimea. Russia's Rosaviatsiya state aviation agency chief Alexander Neradko told reporters that the crew "made the only right decision" to land the fully loaded plane immediately after both of the plane's engines malfunctioned. "The crew has shown courage and professionalism and deserve the highest state awards," he said. The plane was fully loaded with 16 tons of kerosene, he added. "Just imagine what the consequences would be if the crew didn't make the correct decision." The airline said the captain, 41-year old Damir Yusupov, is a highly experienced pilot who has logged over 3,000 flight hours. Yusupov, a son of a helicopter pilot, worked as a lawyer before he changed course and joined a flight school when he was 32. A father of four, he has flown with the Ural Airlines since his graduation in 2013 and became...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Major Incidents International News AP News Tag Source Type: news