On the 15th of August 2019, Russia awoke to its own “Miracle on the Hudson:” after ingesting birds into both engines, an Ural Airlines Airbus A321 made a dramatic forced landing in a cornfield outside Moscow, sliding to a stop intact amid the tall corn stalks, saving the lives of 233 passengers and crew. The crash dominated media coverage in Russia, providing a fresh change of tone in a country more accustomed to shocking tales of aerial incompetence. Authorities were quick to capitalize on the drama, naming both pilots “Heroes of the Russian Federation,” and their story was soon adapted to the silver screen. But was the fanfare all it seemed to be?
In 2022, the final report on the accident, assembled by the Interstate Aviation Committee, was leaked to several Russian telegram channels, and has been spreading within the country ever since, garnering media attention. The report casts the events of that day in a whole new light, suggesting that perhaps the safe outcome occurred not because of, but in spite of, the actions of the crew. Now, for the first time, an English translation of the report has enabled a comprehensive breakdown of what actually happened aboard Ural Airlines flight 178, and the complicated questions it raises about what we expect from pilots in an emergency. Could they have actually landed the plane simply by following standard procedures? Does it even matter, if everyone survived anyway? The following article will grapple extensively with these topics, as well as another, equally dramatic issue: mounting evidence that the Russian aviation regulator attempted to interfere with the investigation and the release of the final report.
