On 2nd November, Ural Airlines Airbus A320 was disabled on the runway at Irkutsk Airport after the brakes jammed while landing. The aircraft remained on the runway for about 12 hours after the incident. 14 flights were reportedly diverted to nearby airports following the incident.
The Airbus A320, with registration RA-73830, was performing flight U62942 from Dushanbe to Irkutsk when the incident took place. There were 82 passengers and six crew members on board the aircraft. No one was injured in the incident and all those on board disembarked via stairs on the runway itself.
All four tires of the aircraft’s main landing gear blew out in the incident. Reportedly, the aircraft’s brake pressure indicator showed the brakes were engaged at the height of 450 meters (1,476 feet). The crew performed all possible troubleshooting procedures to fix it, such as turning the brakes on and off again. However, their efforts were to no avail. Eyewitnesses reported smoke and sparks emitted from the landing gear during the landing.
According to preliminary data obtained from the Russian state press agency TASS, the destruction of the pneumatic landing gear occurred, during the landing. “There was a destruction of the pneumatic landing gear of the aircraft during landing,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
Moreover, it is unclear when the aircraft will return to service given that it will not be possible to find parts to repair the landing gear, as Russian airlines suffer from a lack of supplies for Western aircraft due to sanctions caused by the Ukraine war. All major aircraft manufacturers, Airbus, Boeing and Embraer, have pulled back all services from Russia since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Boeing and Airbus account for almost two-thirds of the Russian fleet – 332 Boeing and 304 Airbus aircraft.
The disabled A320 blocked the airport’s runway until the morning of 3rd November. 14 flights were reportedly diverted to nearby airports following the incident. Investigators have already started a thorough inspection of the aircraft. Passengers and the crew are also being interviewed. The Eastern Interregional Transport Investigation Department announced that an investigation had been initiated in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
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