Ural Airlines: How and when can the Airbus A320 take off from a wheat field?

It is quite possible that the Airbus A320 will fly again, the head of Ural Airlines explained shortly after the emergency landing in a wheat field on September 12. The plane is now being inspected to ensure there is no structural damage. But the question remains: And after that?

What if the plane with registration number RA-73805 is still able to fly? He stands in a wheat field in the remote village of Moskovka, population 97. The head of the Obinsky district of the Novosibirsk region is also thinking about this.

Cancel or start?

Oleg Konyuk says he currently has two options. The politician told the Vesti Novosibirsk newspaper that if the plane was intact and repaired, it would take off directly from the field. If serious damage is found, Ural Airlines’ A320 will be dismantled into its individual parts and processed into scrap and spare parts.

If the aircraft is indeed able to take off from the field, it will likely be some time before it leaves the area. Because the ground softens with rain. As a result, the plane’s wheels initially sank deeper and deeper into the mud. But the problem has already been solved. Using cranes, they were able to lift the wheels of the Airbus A320 onto the sills.

No serious damage has been found so far

“So far, I have information that Ural Airlines specialists have not found any catastrophic damage to the plane, but the work, of course, continues,” district director Konyuk said. The test will likely take another week or two.

It is assumed that the aircraft could remain in the field for about another month. It is guarded there around the clock. Because criminals may tend to steal expensive spare parts.

Farmers will be compensated

The airline has also already contacted the owner of the wheat field where the plane landed, according to the report. The damage caused will be compensated.