Russian pilots to attempt flying crashed plane

Russian pilots are planning a risky attempt at flying a passenger jet that made a miraculous emergency landing in Siberia earlier this month, TV channel Rossia reported on Wednesday.

“A technical team will give its advice then the final decision will be taken by the constructor Tupolev, but we are counting on continuing to use this plane,” an official from airline Alrossa told the channel.

The Tu-154 airliner carrying 81 people was forced to make an emergency landing on September 7 at a deserted runway in Russia’s far northern Komi region, 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from Moscow, after it suffered a mid-flight power failure.

Nobody was hurt in the landing, which the pilot achieved with no working navigation gear and at high speed.

The plane overshot the runway by several hundred metres (yards), and pictures on the TV channel showed teams cutting trees and hauling the plane out using bulldozers.

The plane only suffered minor damage in the landing, though the three engines will be replaced.

All unnecessary weight would be shed to assist in the take-off from the short runway, which is half the length required for the type of plane.