A birdstrike that caused a Ural Airlines A321 to lose power on take-off was filmed just minutes before it crash-landed in a cornfield outside Moscow with 233 on board.
The footage shot by a passenger seated next to the window shows the two-engine, narrow-body airliner speeding down the runway at Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport. In a matter of seconds, the left wing crosses the path of a flock of birds.
Flying with full tanks and 233 people on board, the airplane began steadily losing altitude minutes after departure. The pilots immediately decided to land in a remote field near the runway.
The emergency landing was conducted without the landing gear deployed. In a separate video, a sputtering sound can be heard, presumably from the engines. It was reported that both engines were switched off prior to the landing.
All passengers and seven crew members survived the belly landing. 76 people, including 19 children, required medical attention following the incident.
Also on rt.com Russian airliner with 233 on board suffers birdstrike, makes BELLY LANDING near Moscow (VIDEO)Like this story? Share it with a friend!