Exactly 55 years ago, on August 21, 1963, a passenger plane flying from Tallinn to Moscow made an emergency landing on the Neva. Tu-124 landed on the water near the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. This is the only case in Russian aviation when no one died when a passenger plane landed on water.

How did the Tu-124 crew manage to avoid casualties, why is this incident compared to the “Miracle on the Hudson” in the USA, and what is the difficulty of landing the plane on water? "Paper" I spoke with aviation journalist Andrei Menshenin.

- Is the Tu-124 landing on the Neva a unique event in the history of aviation?

In the history of Russian aviation, this is the only case of successful splashdown (landing on water - approx. "Papers") with passengers on board when no one was killed. There are also very few such cases in world history; the most famous was in 2009 in New York, when a plane landed on the water of the Hudson River. The film “Miracle on the Hudson” was made about this. The vast majority of splashdown attempts end unsuccessfully - usually with casualties.

- In many media publications, the history of the Tu-124 is compared with the “Miracle on the Hudson”. How similar are these two cases really?

Both cases fit the description of a "jet with passengers on board near the center densely populated city forced to land on the river." But, of course, details matter. In the New York case, the cause of the engine failure was obvious: the plane crashed into a flock of birds. The role of the crew is clear: they carried out the flight according to the procedure, encountered an emergency situation, carried out a set of procedures to solve it, and went beyond this complex with a successful result.

In the case of the Tu-124, it is still not completely clear what happened. We were carrying out the flight according to standard instructions, but encountered an emergency situation (the front landing gear jammed - approx. "Papers"), then something happened, and the crew found themselves in a plane without engines over a densely populated city.

Splashdown of TU-124 on the Neva. Photo: Yuri Tuysk

- Is it even possible to land a plane with a jammed landing gear?

Landing gear failure is not a clear prerequisite for a disaster, although it increases its likelihood. In modern civil aviation Most forced landings with landing gear retracted result in no casualties. The Tu-124 crew had many chances to complete the flight safely.

- Why did they have to land on the water?

There are two factors to note here. If they had not coincided, the plane would have landed on Shosseynaya (the old name of Pulkovo Airport - approx. "Papers"), albeit with a jammed chassis. Firstly, the plane was running out of fuel (to reduce the likelihood of a possible fire during landing - approx. "Papers") at low altitude - 500 m. The lower the altitude, the more fuel the aircraft consumes and the less time it takes to use it up.

Secondly, the plane was left without fuel. Why it ended is not entirely clear. According to one version, the sensors in the Tu-124 were acting up, showing fuel that actually wasn’t there. According to another, the pilots simply missed the moment when the fuel ran out, trying to correct the jammed landing gear. Another version: allegedly, in certain situations, a certain air funnel appears in the Tu-124 fuel system, which prevents fuel from entering the engine. This, of course, sounds doubtful to me. On the other hand, the Tu-124 could have some design flaws, since that was the very dawn of jet aviation. In modern aircraft, all these experiences are taken into account: the wing is divided inside into compartments and you can pump fuel from any of them as you need.

If we exclude at least one of these factors, the plane could fly to the airport. Having a greater altitude reserve - for example, several kilometers - he could glide without engines to Shosseynaya. There are many more such successful cases in the history of aviation than cases of successful splashdown. But 500 m is too little headroom. They only had enough to fly to the Neva.

Reconstruction of Tu-124 landing

- Why is it so difficult to land a plane on water?

At high speeds, the elastic properties of water are close to those of concrete. But the fact is that, unlike the prepared airfield landing strip, the water surface is uneven. Because of the waves, the structure of the aircraft simply collapses. A land aircraft is not designed for such loads.

How did the pilots manage to land the plane without casualties?

Each case of successful splashdown is considered the result of great luck. There were several factors in this case. Firstly, the landing was carried out by the co-pilot (Vasily Chechenev - approx. "Papers"), who had experience flying seaplanes. He mastered the splashdown technique. This was one of the luck factors.

The second factor was that, apparently, there were practically no waves on the Neva. Third: when the plane was in the water, a tugboat passed by, which immediately pulled it ashore. Theoretically, it would be possible to get out of the plane, but in this case there would probably be panic and people would not know what to do.

- How did the landing take place? Did the plane crash?

No. For each aircraft there is an operating manual, where in the section on emergency situations it is written what speed and pitch (angular movement relative to the main transverse axis of inertia - approx. "Papers") must be maintained for optimal reduction.

What is the real merit of the crew: when they already found themselves in this stalemate, they managed to make a decision in a matter of seconds. These seconds are very important. The pilots were able to assess the situation and agree on what to do.

If we recall the film adaptation of “Miracle on the Hudson,” the main complaint against Sully (pilot Chesley Sullenberger - approx. "Papers") was that he would have had enough time to reach the airfield if he had started the maneuver as soon as the engines failed. But while the crew was making a decision, the seconds were ticking away. In the end, they no longer had a choice but to sit on the river.

Several publications about the landing of the Tu-124 on the Neva mention that the plane, according to eyewitnesses, flew straight to St. Isaac's Cathedral. If he had not boarded the Neva, what could have been the consequences?

The plane could have fallen to the ground, onto residential buildings. One can guess what kind of disaster there would be, with how many victims. Suffice it to recall, for example, the disaster in Irkutsk in 1997 (a plane fell on residential buildings, killing 72 people - approx. "Papers").

The crew of TU-124. Far right is co-pilot Vasily Chechenev, next to him is airship commander Viktor Mostovoy

- After this disaster, did they continue to produce the Tu-124?

Yes, they flew a lot. Now, of course, it is not exploited.

- Are flights over St. Petersburg allowed now?

In St. Petersburg there are restricted flight zones and there are no-fly zones. Moreover, each of them is open to certain categories of aircraft. But if, for example, you need to fly from Pulkovo to Peter and Paul Fortress, then the plane will not fly over the city, but over the Gulf of Finland.

In the city center - in the no-fly zone - only state aviation and air ambulances, that is, police, rescuers and the president, can fly. For the most part, these are, of course, helicopters. Passenger airliners do not fly into the center at all. If the plane is landing on the second circle, then the trajectory will fly around the entire city - along the Ring Road and the WHSD.

On February 18, 1945, during an offensive operation in Germany, Alexander Pokryshkin successfully landed a plane on the Breslau-Berlin highway. The 9-meter-wide highway was too narrow for a combat vehicle to fit properly. However, the pilot took a risk. Pokryshkin’s maneuver became a textbook and was included in aviation textbooks.

Commander Example

Guard Colonel Pokryshkin then commanded a fighter division. The attack on Berlin was unfolding. The front line quickly moved away from the field airfields, and due to the muddy roads it was extremely difficult to equip new runways. Our fighters spent almost all their fuel to reach the front line, stay above the battlefield for a few minutes and quickly return. And the troops needed air support. The division commander embarked on a risky experiment, deciding to use the autobahn as a runway. He landed his Airacobra perfectly. And after the commander, other pilots also mastered this technique. This was the only case in the history of world aviation when an entire fighter air division successfully operated from a section of an ordinary highway for a month and a half, without having a single accident.

But not only in military, but also in civil aviation there were cases of successful landing outside the airfield in extreme conditions. In some of them, the pilots performed miracles.

Landing on the highway

Light aircraft landed somewhat successfully on the highway. October 4, 2013 in San Jose (USA), a pilot carrying a passenger on a Bellanca 7ECA aircraft discovered engine problems that could lead to an accident. After contacting the air traffic controller, he explained the situation and asked permission to land on the highway. The air traffic controller contacted the traffic police, who urgently, despite rush hour, cleared the area needed for landing. The pilot landed his Bilanka safely.

There were also landings on busy highways. In this case, success depended not only on the skill of the pilot, but also on the reaction of the drivers.

August 20, 2012 a light aircraft that had engine failures landed on the Riga-Ventspils highway (Latvia). However, no one was hurt. True, the plane damaged the landing gear because the landing took place in an abnormal mode. The incident resulted in a multi-kilometer traffic jam.

April 5, 2010 a similar incident occurred in Australia. At the same time, the 18-year-old pilot used the reserve lane, which was not busy. The slightly dented plane was removed from the route using a tow truck.

August 25, 2009 The landing of the Cessna in California brought more work to the tinsmiths. The novice pilot did not calculate the amount of fuel required for the flight. As a result, the engine stopped and the plane glided onto the highway. Only one car failed to escape this unexpected meeting - a VW Golf. But, we repeat, these were all light aircraft.

On the water

Chance to save several dozen people during a heavy splashdown passenger airliner quite real. Throughout history, 5 such cases have been recorded.

In the evening October 15, 1956 The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, owned by Pan Am, took off from Honolulu to San Francisco. There were 24 passengers and 7 crew members on board. October 16 over Pacific Ocean 2 engines out of 4 failed. The commander of the airliner decided to land on the water. As a result, no one on board was injured, except for scratches and bruises. Passengers and crew managed to get onto life rafts before the plane sank. An hour later, the rescued people were picked up by a coast guard boat.

August 21, 1963 On the Neva, within the boundaries of Leningrad, the Aeroflot Tu-124 airliner, en route from Tallinn to Moscow, splashed down. While generating fuel over the city for an emergency landing at Pulkovo airport (the plane's landing gear was jammed), the crew encountered a new problem. Both engines failed. The pilots planned for the water. As a result, everyone survived - 45 passengers and 7 crew members.

November 22, 1968 Japanese airlines DC-8 Japan Airlines, making a flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, splashed down half a kilometer from the American coast. However, it was not an emergency landing, but a flight error. In conditions of dense fog, the captain was guided by the readings of the radio altimeter, which, as it turned out, gave an error of 60 meters. And the pilot, who decided that he was landing on the runway, splashed down very skillfully. As a result, none of the 96 passengers and 11 crew members received even minor bruises.

July 17, 1972 Tu-134, owned by the Ministry of Aviation, a test flight was carried out in which extreme operating conditions of electrical equipment were studied. Suddenly the network went down and stopped fuel pumps, the engines stalled. The liner was landed on the Ikshinskoye Reservoir. None of the 5 crew members were injured.

January 15, 2009 Airbus A320 US Airways, flying from New York to Seattle, collided with a flock of wild geese. Both engines stalled as a result of the damage received. The ship's commander, Chessley Sullenberger, a former military pilot, landed the plane with 150 passengers on board on the Hudson River. Everyone survived. True, 5 people were seriously injured.

In the taiga

And finally, the most incredible incident which took place September 7, 2010 in Russia.

The Tu-154 airliner, owned by Alrosa Airlines, was flying from the city of Udachny to Moscow Domodedovo Airport with 72 passengers on board and 9 crew members. At an altitude of 10,600 meters the power supply disappeared. As a result, navigation systems, communications and pumping pumps stopped working. There was fuel left in the fuel tank for 30 minutes of flight. All attempts to start the backup generator were unsuccessful. The crew began looking for a place for an emergency landing.

On the ground, having lost contact with the airliner, they determined its location using an automatic emergency radio beacon.

And a miracle happened - the pilots “came across” an abandoned airfield at Izhma Airport (Komi Republic), which was used as a helipad. The runway, 1325 meters long, was short for a heavy airliner. However, the head of the helipad, Sergei Sotnikov, kept the runway in working order, clearing it of bushes and young trees. Although this was not part of his duties.

As a result, the airliner landed successfully, despite the fact that due to non-functioning flaps, the landing speed was significantly higher than normal. The rollout beyond the strip where the bushes and small forests began was 160 meters. No harm done.

Sergei Sotnikov was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree. The ship's commander, Evgeny Novoselov, and co-pilot Andrey Lamanov, were awarded the title Hero of Russia. The remaining 7 crew members were awarded the Order of Courage.

It’s unlikely that anyone dreams of being on a plane flying with failed engines, caught in a storm or strong crosswind. But all this and much more periodically happens to aircraft, and then the pilots have to use all their skill and a lot of physical strength to level the plane, bring it to the airfield and land it successfully, without causing casualties. Next, we will talk about the 10 most incredible airplane landings.

1. Flying over the volcano (1982)


Handing the passenger a glass of drink, the flight attendant quietly looked out the window and made sure that the pilots were right. The plane's engines glowed like strobe lights. And soon suffocating smoke, smelling of sulfur, began to spread throughout the cabin. There were 15 crew members and 248 passengers on board the Boeing 747, and none of them noticed that the plane had flown through a cloud volcanic ash, suddenly thrown upward by the awakening Indonesian volcano Galunggung. Tiny abrasive ash particles damaged the aircraft's skin and clogged its engines.
The plane flying from London to Auckland was at risk of not making it. A huge airliner with its engines turned off was gliding over the ocean in the night, and mountains rose right in its path south coast islands of Java. It was necessary to quickly choose: to land the plane on the water or to risk reaching Jakarta airport, but for this it was necessary to overcome the approaching peaks. While the commander and the Indonesian controller calculated the distance and aerodynamic capabilities of the aircraft, the flight engineer and co-pilot continued to try to start the engines. They were lucky - the fourth engine hesitated, spitting out pumice, and still started working! Using the same method, we managed to revive two more engines. With such thrust it was already possible to reach the airfield, however, when the plane began to gradually descend for landing, the pilots noticed that the windshield, scratched by sharp particles, became frosted. In addition, Jakarta airport did not have an automatic landing gear.
In the end, the British pilots were able to land the plane safely, looking at the area through a couple of tiny transparent areas remaining on the windshield. None of the people were injured in this mess.

2. Miracle on the Hudson (2009)


On January 15, 2009, an Airbus A-320 with 150 passengers on board took off from La Guardia Airport in the direction of New York - Seattle. Just a minute and a half into the flight, he collided with a flock of birds, after which both engines of the airliner instantly stalled. At this moment the plane had already risen to 970 meters. It was no longer possible to go back, since the speed and altitude gained would not be enough, which would be enough for 1.5 minutes of gliding.
The first pilot made an instant decision to head for the Hudson River, which at this point is very wide and has a fairly straight channel. It was important to reach the water surface and level the plane. As a result, the airbus plopped into the icy water and began to plan among the ice floes. Almost all the people survived, and only the flight attendant and 5 poorly seated passengers were injured. They should be grateful to former military pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who once piloted the Phantom.


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3. Heavenly Convertible (1988)


In 1988, an old Boeing made a local flight in Hawaii from Hilo to Honolulu. Due to a loose door, part of the hull was destroyed (the wind “licked” 35 sq. m of cladding). Explosive decompression occurred at an altitude of 7300 m at a speed of 500 km/h. Instantly, 90 lightly dressed passengers were hit by a wind 3 times faster than a hurricane, and even icy (-45 degrees). Although the pilots quickly reduced their speed to 380 km/h and their altitude, in a short time 65 people managed to get frostbite and receive various injuries. And after 12 minutes, with a deviation from the schedule of only 1 minute, the heavenly convertible landed in Honolulu. But there were no casualties here - the unfortunate flight attendant was thrown overboard at the moment of the destruction of the fuselage.

4. Race with Death (1988)


On December 31, 1988, the Tu-134 crew was in such a hurry to celebrate the New Year that they began to descend on too steep a glide path, although the instruments screamed that the speed was too high and the ground was approaching too quickly. The pilots, disregarding all instructions, lowered the landing gear at a speed of 460 km/h, and it was pointless to lower the flaps at such a speed, since they would simply be blown off by the air flow. At the moment of touching the ground, the speed was 415 km/h (permissible maximum 330 km/h). Thus, a landing speed record was set for a civil aviation airliner.
Landing at such speed aircraft The length of the runway turned out to be short and, despite all the efforts of the dashing crew, the plane proceeded further, stopping 1.5 meters from the descent to the ground on the safety strip. The passengers were surprisingly not injured, but the pilots had to answer to the fullest extent of the law.

5. Plane without a nose (2017)


The plane, heading from Istanbul to Ercan, Cyprus, encountered strong winds and hail. At a 1.5-kilometer altitude, his nose and cockpit glass were blown off. As a result, the pilots were completely unable to look ahead, and at the airport everyone was waiting in despair for the inevitable. The first pilot, Ukrainian pilot Akopov, decided to return. When landing, he tilted the side slightly so that he could see the strip through the side window. The airport dispatchers and other members of the aircraft crew also worked efficiently, and as a result, the ship with 121 passengers and 6 crew members landed successfully.


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6. Taiga miracle (2010)


In September 2010, a TU-154B plane en route from Yakutia to Moscow landed in the Siberian wilderness. Having flown for 3.5 hours after takeoff, the plane suddenly lost power, so the fuel pumps and on-board instruments froze, and the ability to control the wing elements was lost. In the fuselage there was a supply tank with 3.3 tons of operational kerosene reserve, but this would only be enough for half an hour of flight. The pilots lowered the plane to 3,000 meters to visually search for a suitable landing site. They checked horizontality using a glass of water. They were lucky to notice the short (1350 m) concrete runway at Izhma airport, and for landing the Tu-154B required 2 times longer. Moreover, it was abandoned back in 2003, used only for landing helicopters. The matter was complicated by the fact that the pilots could not release the flaps, so the landing speed was 100 km/h higher than the calculated speed.
The pilots managed to land the car on “3 points”, but then the poorly controlled plane rolled into a low spruce forest, located 160 m beyond the end of the concrete strip. Fortunately, none of the passengers or crew were injured. The plane was immediately repaired on its own, and then it was able to fly to Samara for a detailed inspection.

7. Landing without a commander (1990)


On June 10, 1990, a British Airways plane took off from Birmingham to Malaga. After 13 minutes of flight, his poorly installed windshield fell out, as a result of which the air escaping from the plane picked up the commander and threw him half out through the resulting hole. The pilot's back was pressed against the fuselage outside the cockpit, while his legs were stuck between the control panel and the steering wheel. The cockpit door was also torn off, the debris of which fell on the navigation and radio panels.
The flight attendant in the cockpit grabbed onto the commander, preventing him from flying out completely, and the co-pilot began an emergency descent and gave a distress signal. The co-pilot managed to land the emergency airliner in Southampton. All passengers and crew survived, only the commander and flight attendant were injured. As for the commander, he was found to have several fractures, bruises and frostbite. The flight attendant suffered frostbite in his left eye, face and dislocated his shoulder.


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8. Incident in Leningrad (1963)


The plane, flying from Tallinn to Moscow, reported to the ground that after takeoff the nose landing gear was stuck in the half-retracted position. There was a belly landing to be made, and the nearest airport where such a trick could be performed was the airport in Pulkovo, where the plane was sent. Having approached the airport, the plane began to circle above it, running out of fuel, and to speed up the process, it did this at an altitude of 500 m. At the same time, the crew tried in every possible way to unlock the landing gear with a metal pole. Carried away by this task, the crew did not notice how the left engine stopped due to lack of fuel.
The first and second pilots rushed to the controls, instantly received permission to fly over the city and headed straight for the runway. Then the second engine also froze, and there was not even enough altitude to leave the city. Then the crew commander made the only possible decision - to land the emergency board on the water surface of the Neva. The plane flew over the Liteiny Bridge at an altitude of 90 m, over the Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge it had already dropped to 30 meters, just a few meters passed over the Alexander Nevsky Bridge under construction and, almost hitting the tugboat, plopped into the water. The splashdown was soft - all passengers and crew members were alive.

9. Spectacular Airbus landing in stormy weather (2017)


Strong winds often blow at the airport in Dusseldorf, Germany. Recently, the giant Airbus A380, owned by Emirates, had to land in such conditions. The approach to the ground itself in such conditions still goes more or less smoothly, but after the landing gear touches the landing strip, problems immediately begin. So this landing of the Airbus became unusual and difficult. To reduce the impact of strong side wind gusts, pilots are forced to approach the landing at an angle. When the pilot began to level the plane, a sudden strong gust of side wind began to strongly swing the colossus from side to side. So the pilot levels the ship, and it flaps its wings - a fascinating sight. Finally, the pilot managed to cope with the unruly giant and level his position with wind gusts reaching 22 m/s.


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10. Faulty Chassis (2016)


In Kazakhstan, in international airport In the capital of the country, Astana, a Foker-100 aircraft without front landing gear was able to make an emergency landing safely. However, none of the passengers and crew members totaling 121 people were injured. The cause of the emergency was a malfunction in the front landing gear mechanism. The aircraft commander had to land it without this element, which was quite important during landing. The front strut did not fully come out of the hatch, so when landing it was impossible to rely on it at all. Eyewitnesses excitedly told how the plane, after touching the ground, pecked at the ground and then scraped along the concrete of the runway for hundreds of meters. The intense friction caused sparks and black smoke to come out of it. Fortunately, the plane did not catch fire. Surprisingly, after this landing, damage to the aircraft's body was minimal.

Once the aircraft landing has been learned in the simulator, the pilot begins training on the real machine. The landing of the aircraft begins at the moment when the aircraft reaches the point of descent. In this case, a certain distance, speed and altitude must be maintained from the aircraft to the runway. The landing process requires maximum concentration from the pilot. The pilot directs the car to the starting point of the runway; the entire time it moves, the nose of the plane is kept slightly lower. Movement is strictly along the lane.

The first thing the pilot does at the very beginning of movement onto the runway is to lower the landing gear and flaps. All this is necessary, including in order to significantly reduce the speed of the aircraft. The multi-ton vehicle begins to move along the glide path - the trajectory along which the descent occurs. Using numerous instruments, the pilot constantly monitors altitude, speed and rate of descent.

The speed and rate of its reduction are especially important. It should decrease as it approaches the ground. The speed should not be reduced too sharply, nor should it be exceeded. At an altitude of three hundred meters the speed is approximately 300-340 km per hour, at a height of two hundred meters it is 200-240. The pilot can regulate the speed of the aircraft by applying gas and changing the angle of the flaps.

Bad weather during landing

How does a plane land in strong winds? All basic pilot actions remain the same. However, landing a plane in cross or gusty winds is very difficult.

Directly near the ground, the aircraft's position should become horizontal. In order for the touch to be soft, the plane must descend slowly, without a sharp drop in speed. Otherwise, it may hit the strip suddenly. It is at this moment that bad weather in the form of wind and heavy snow can cause maximum problems for the pilot.

After touching the ground, the gas must be released. The flaps are retracted and the plane is taxied to its parking spot using the pedals.

Thus, the seemingly simple process of landing actually requires great piloting skill.

The successful implementation of a forced landing on water depends mainly on the following factors:

on sea conditions and wind strength; depending on the type of aircraft; from the skill of the commander. The behavior of the aircraft at the time of landing may vary depending on the sea state. Landing an airplane parallel to the line of the swell crest, i.e., perpendicular to the direction of its movement, is sometimes almost no different from landing an airplane on a smooth water surface. When landing an aircraft perpendicular to the crest line of a swell or when landing in rough seas, large overloads are applied to the aircraft. By choosing the correct approach course to suit the sea conditions, the commander can reduce to some extent the dangers associated with landing an aircraft in rough sea conditions.

The second factor influencing the successful implementation of an emergency landing on water is the type of aircraft. The commander cannot directly influence this factor, however, knowing the characteristics of his aircraft and its data, as well as its expected behavior when landing on water, he can take certain measures in order to weaken the effect of its negative qualities and make the most of its positive properties. You can always find out in advance information about the behavior of a particular type of aircraft when landing on water.

Below are general data that apply to all types passenger aircraft.

The heavier the aircraft, the better suited it is for landing on water. Modern passenger aircraft As a rule, they have satisfactory characteristics in terms of their suitability for landing on water. In passenger aircraft, the lower part of the fuselage, which is most often damaged when landing on water, has greater strength.

Protruding parts of an aircraft have different effects on damage to the aircraft when landing on water. The landing gear must always be retracted, otherwise the aircraft will be subjected to sudden throws and overloads, which can cause wing failure.

When landing on rough water against the direction of the swell, significant G-forces should be expected. The length of the run in this case depends on whether the plane will bounce off the water when it hits a wave or not.

The safest landing of an aircraft in rough sea conditions is to land in a direction parallel to the line of the swell wave, or, in other words, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the swell movement. The landing conditions in this case are most similar to the conditions of landing on a smooth water surface.

Of the three factors influencing the successful execution of a forced landing of a multi-seat passenger aircraft on water, namely sea state, type of aircraft and

the art of Piloting, the last factor being the most decisive. The ability of the commander and co-pilot to land the plane safely on the water will largely depend further fate crew and passengers.

On most modern aircraft, it is necessary to land on water at the minimum possible airspeed provided, however, that this does not cause the nose of the aircraft to rise excessively.

After the first impact of the plane on the water, the commander in most cases is almost unable to control the plane, since he ceases to obey the rudders.

Landing on a smooth sea surface, including in the presence of swell, must be done with great care, since in these conditions it is very difficult to determine the height above the water, as a result of which the pilot can very easily make a mistake. Therefore, if possible, the pilot must first fly at a low altitude above the intended landing site, dropping some small objects into the sea, by which he can determine the altitude and land on the second approach.

A scale for determining wind speed based on the state of the sea surface during wind waves.

ASSESSMENT OF THE SUITABILITY OF CLOSED WATER SPACES FOR PLANTING. FORCED LANDING ON A RIVER

The most convenient places for a forced landing on water are closed water basins, such as lakes, rivers, harbors, bays, or water areas surrounded by several islands.

If conditions permit, it is necessary to fly over the intended landing site to ensure that there are no obstacles on the surface of the water:

  • pitfalls; boats, rafts;
  • buoys, pilings or any other objects that could damage the aircraft.

Once the pilot is satisfied that there are no obstacles on the surface of the water for landing, he must select an approach course based on the actual conditions of the water surface and wind direction.

The body of water selected for planting must be at least 1.5 km long and 90 m wide.

The approach direction should be chosen taking into account the wind direction, the direction of the river flow and its depth. If the river current is not very strong and the wind direction does not coincide with the most favorable approach direction, then the landing should be made against the wind. If the direction of the river flow and the direction of the wind coincide, then planting should be done against the wind and against the current.

If the direction of the current and the direction of the wind are opposite, then the landing should be made against the wind. -

The general rule when landing on the surface of a river is the following: if the wind is strong enough, you should ignore the weak current of the river and land against the wind. The landing should be calculated so that at the end of the run through the water you end up close to the shore, at the pier or aground.

In order to determine from the air the magnitude and direction of movement of the main, largest swell at sea, it is necessary to fly at an altitude of approximately 600 m (from a low altitude the main swell is not always visible). The direction of movement of weaker systems of swell and wind waves is determined from the level of low-level flight. ^

Overwhelming majority ocean waves has a height of 3-4 m, and waves 7-8 m high are a rare occurrence. Due to interference, or superposition of waves, waves following each other can differ dramatically in height. This can be clearly seen by watching the waves crashing on the shore. Three or four large waves are usually followed by a series of relatively small waves, after which they come again big waves etc. Thus, even in the case of a very rough sea, there are always relatively calmer places on its surface, which is very important for the commander and co-pilot to know in case of an emergency landing.

If it is necessary to land at sea in difficult waves, that is, in the presence of several different swell systems, then for When landing, a heading should be chosen so that the aircraft does not move directly into any of the swell systems and that maximum use is made of the headwind.

When choosing a landing course, you must also take into account the location of the entrance doors and escape hatches on the aircraft. When placing doors on one side of the fuselage of an aircraft (Tu-104, Tu-124, Il-18, etc.), landing parallel to the swell crest should be done in such a way that the swell wave (or wind wave) runs onto the starboard side.

In this case, entrance doors and escape hatches left side.

For aircraft Tu-114, Il-62, Tu-154, Tu-134, etc., which have exits on both sides of the fuselage, when landing on water parallel to the swell crest, it does not really matter from which side of the fuselage the swell wave comes or wind wave, but after landing on the water, the pilot must evaluate the position of the aircraft on the water and the possibility of opening doors and hatches so that water cannot penetrate inside the aircraft.

TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMING A FORCED LANDING ON WATER AND USE OF RESCUE EQUIPMENT

A forced landing of a passenger land aircraft on a rough sea surface must be carried out so that the nose of the aircraft is raised at the moment it touches the water. To do this, you need to make a normal landing approach with the flaps and landing gear retracted. Engines should run at low speeds. At a height of approximately 1.5-2 m above the water, level the plane and, keeping its nose slightly raised, continue to fly to the intended landing site on the water at a speed exceeding the critical speed by 15-20 km/h.

Having reached the chosen landing site, you should slightly reduce the throttle and lift the nose of the plane so as not to completely lose speed. Although at the moment of landing the nose of the aircraft must be kept raised

position, during the run it should be lowered, since with the nose down the plane will stop faster, because the surface of the plane in contact with water will increase; the plane will break away from the wave at a lower angle of attack, as a result of which it will gain less altitude. To keep the nose of the aircraft in the desired position during the run, the pilot must quickly respond to any change in the aircraft's attitude by operating the elevator.

The length of an aircraft's run during landing is directly dependent on the weight of the aircraft and its speed, or, in other words, on its reserve of kinetic energy at the moment of landing.

When landing on water at night at an altitude of 100-150 m, it is necessary to turn on the headlights and focus all your attention on determining the height at which the aircraft begins to level off before splashdown, preventing it from hitting the water or losing speed. It is not recommended to turn on headlights in fog and clouds.

On a moonlit night, you should sit in the direction of the moon. It has been established that estimates of the state of the sea made by observations during the full moon are approximately correct. However, under these conditions, the sea is clearly visible only in one specific direction, and the sea seems calmer than it actually is. Nevertheless, it is almost always possible to determine the main swell system, as well as the direction of the wind, if its strength is strong enough and there are winds at sea stripes.

Launching inflatable life rafts and boarding people on them

As soon as the aircraft finally stops on the water after landing, the ship's commander is obliged to:

  • assess the position of the aircraft on the water and the possibility of opening the side doors and emergency hatches so that water cannot penetrate inside the aircraft;
  • give the command to open doors and escape hatches;
  • give the command to launch the rafts;
  • do not allow passengers to gather in one place in order to avoid dangerous trims to the nose or tail of the aircraft;
  • organize quick disembarkation of passengers with life jackets previously put on;
  • be the last to leave the plane, be placed on a rescue pilot with an emergency radio and lead the rescue of passengers;
  • give instructions to move the rafts away from the aircraft 50-100 m.

On most modern passenger aircraft, the rafts inside the aircraft are secured manually and the rafts are brought to those doors and hatches that lie above the seawater level and which are most appropriate to open in a particular situation and then lower the rafts into the water without flooding the aircraft with seawater.

Notes 1. The water level behind the aircraft class must be determined at those doors and hatches, without opening them, that have porthole windows, and select doors and hatches whose lower edge lies above the level of the outboard wall or the upper crest of the wave.

Notes 2. In case of strong waves and storms, it is necessary to open preferentially the emergency hatches above the wing from the safer leeward side. In a storm with a large wave, emergency hatches in the upper part of the aircraft fuselage can be used to escape (on those aircraft that have such hatches). In this case, it is necessary to take into account the great difficulty of exiting and boarding the rafts through these hatches.

Having received the command to launch the rafts, crew members and flight attendants, provided for in a pre-arranged schedule, or plan, emergency evacuation on the water, open the appropriate doors and hatches based on the situation and, Having previously attached the end of the launch painter (rope) placed in a special pocket of the raft packaging to a special bracket near the door or hatch, the raft is dropped into the water.

Notes 1. Rafts that are not attached to the plane by painters and thrown into the water can be carried hundreds of meters away from the plane by the wind and current, and people will not be able to swim to the rafts and use them for rescue on the water.

Notes 2. If the raft (for any reason) is not secured by a bracket at the door or hatch, the end of the launch painter must be firmly held in the hands of the crew member (flight attendant) in charge of boarding the rafts at the gate, or a physically strong passenger who is attracted by the crew to assist with evacuation.

After the package with the raft is dropped onto the water and floats, all that remains is to open the package and inflate the raft. For this purpose, a launch painter is used, connected to the packing traction rope and the launch device of the gas cylinder attached to the raft.

The length of the raft's launch painter is always several times greater than the height of the lower edge of the door (hatch) from the water level, and therefore it is necessary to first select the slack of the painter. When the slack is taken out and the painter is pulled tight, you need to sharply pull the painter several times. After several jerks, opening the package and triggering the trigger, carbon dioxide from the cylinder begins to flow into the inflatable chambers of the raft and the raft is inflated in a few tens of seconds. As soon as the inflatable arches (or central post) supporting the awning are raised, the raft is ready to receive rescuers.

The painter is firmly connected to the raft and will hold it to the plane until the rescuers land and cut the painter. The tensile strength of the painter (40-4-60 kG) is calculated in such a way that if people do not have time to cut the painter and the sinking plane begins to drag the raft along with it, the painter will break. A raft with a full number of people will remain afloat. However, it is better to avoid this situation and should try to move away from the plane before it floods, so as not to fall into the funnel that forms when the plane is immersed in water.

Note: In the event of an emergency landing of an aircraft on land in a desert, taiga, arctic, sparsely populated area at any time of the year, inflatable rafts can be used on land to protect people from rain, sun, wind and cold before approach rescue teams. In this case, the emergency supply of food and equipment intended for inflatable rafts must be used in relation to the specific situation.

The inflatable raft, which is afloat and held by a painter at the exit or hatch above the wing, can be accessed directly from the aircraft through an open door or hatch, as well as from the wing, which people access through the side emergency hatches in the passenger cabin. If this “dry” method cannot be used in the current situation, you should jump into the water feet down with an inflated vest, swim to the raft and climb into it along an inflatable or soft ribbon ladder through one of the two entrance holes in the raft’s canopy. It should be taken into account that people in dry clothing have greater resilience when staying on inflatable life rafts. Therefore, if possible, you should avoid getting your clothes wet when boarding the rafts for passengers and crew.

In some cases (when there is little time) you will have to inflate the rafts by jumping into the water. When deploying and inflating life rafts, special care must be taken to ensure that the rafts and escaping persons do not come into contact with sharp edges of the fuselage or other parts of the aircraft.

When helping the wounded leave the plane, you should always take their survival equipment (vest) from the plane.

When landing on rafts from the wing of an airplane, you must remember that it is extremely difficult to stay on the wing in rough seas (it can be washed away by the wave). Therefore, it is necessary to use a lifeline attached to the hatch above the wing to keep people on the wing until the inflatable raft is deployed at the edge of the wing.

When the first and subsequent rafts are filled with passengers, if the rafts are lowered from one exit (hatch) one after another, the painter of the first raft is detached from the aircraft and attached to the second raft.

Then the first raft is pushed away from the exit (hatch) of the aircraft, so as not to interfere with the landing of people in the second, third, etc. rafts.

Upon completion of landing, all rafts, sequentially fastened together with painters 8-10 m long, are moved away from the aircraft by 50-100 At, so as not to fall into the crater of a sinking aircraft. To do this, the people on the last raft, which is attached to the exit (hatch) by a mooring painter, after the crew commander sits on the raft and has checked that all people have left the plane, release the mooring painter and the rafts move away from the plane under the influence of wind, waves, and current.

The commander takes upon himself the general management of the rafts, making sure that all the people are picked up from the water, all the rafts are connected to each other by painters 8-10 m long, and all the necessary equipment is on the rafts. I

If possible, the crew commander should move to the raft where the radio operator with the emergency radio station is located.

If the plane continues to float on the surface of the water, then the rafts should remain near the plane at a distance of 50-100 m so that rescue ships, planes and helicopters can quickly detect them.

The management of a life raft filled with passengers is carried out by the senior crew member located on the raft. If there is not a single crew member (flight attendant) on the raft, then the passengers choose a senior one from among them.

In order to approach another life raft, you need to throw the raft's sea anchor the entire length of the painter (rope) towards the other raft and then pull your raft by the painter in the direction of the thrown sea anchor. If the distance between the rafts is significant, you will have to throw the sea anchor more than once. If the raft has two anchors, it is better to use both drogues (from one entrance) to bring the rafts closer together. After approaching, it is necessary to connect the rafts with painters (ropes) laid on the bottom of the raft.

The distance between the connected rafts should be at least 8-10 m, and if the sea is rough - 10-12 m. After connecting the rafts, all floating anchors should be released into the water so that the rafts are not blown away by the wind from the landing site of the aircraft, since there will be search and rescue aircraft, ships, etc. are approaching.

To eliminate gas leakage from a damaged raft buoyancy chamber, a metal plug should be used in case of a large rupture, and a rubber plug should be used in case of a small puncture. Using a plug, insert the bottom plate of the plug through the gap in the raft chamber, cover it with the top plate, tighten the wing nut and break the wire securing the nut to the plates.

Using a rubber plug, you need to screw it into the hole (puncture, small tear), after which, as quickly as possible, prepare a patch from the package with raft repair equipment to replace the plugs and plugs.

It is necessary to close the entrance curtains of the raft when all rescued people are located on the raft. Raft curtains should be kept closed in cold or wet weather. Brief instructions with explanatory drawings are placed on the inner surface of the raft canopy. The text is approximately as follows:

Immediate action in cold weather.

  • a) untie the curtains (ties) that tighten the entrance curtains into bundles;
  • b) raise the entrance curtains by pulling the cords down. After this, fasten the curtains with loops on the brakes (oblong buttons);
  • c) from time to time, in order to avoid poisoning with carbon dioxide exhaled by people, ventilate the space under the tent by slightly opening the entrance curtains;
  • d) inflate the bottom of the raft. The pump or bellows for inflating the bottom is stored in the package with the equipment for repairing the raft. In order to inflate the bottom with a pump, you need to attach a hose to the pump hole farthest from the handle.”