Sochi-Omsk Plane Sustains Damage Over 100 Million Rubles After Field Landing

The damage caused to the plane after landing in a field in Novosibirsk Region amounted to 118.9 million rubles (approximately $1.2 million at current rates). This was reported by the TASS agency with reference to case materials.

The examination showed that the plane has damage to the right landing gear door, three fan blades of the right engine, six wheels, and four brakes. According to TASS, the pilot«s defense considers the examination results incorrect.

Recall that on January 20, the Omsk Regional Court upheld the decision of the Omsk Central District Court to return the case of pilot Sergei Belov, who landed the plane in a field in Ubin District of Novosibirsk Region, to the prosecutor.

«The decision of the lower court, by which the criminal case <…> was returned to the prosecutor to remove obstacles for its consideration in court, is left unchanged, and the appellate submissions and complaints of the victims are left unsatisfied,» the court«s decision states.

Sergei Belov himself requested the transfer of the case consideration to Omsk. In November, one of the plane«s passengers attended the court hearing. She is convinced that the pilot is not at fault.

As the airliner«s crew explained, during the flight, one of the hydraulic systems failed. The pilot decided to fly to Novosibirsk, where the runway is wider than in Omsk, but was unable to reach it due to a lack of fuel. They had to land in a field. Experts considered this action unjustified.