State Duma Proposes to Compensate Pilot Who Landed Plane in Field

Boris Chernyshov, vice speaker of the State Duma, proposed to compensate the pilot who landed the plane in a field for the costs of the lawsuit. The damage was estimated at 118.9 million rubles (about $1.2 million at current rates). If the court does not side with Sergei Belov, he will have to pay this amount himself.

As reported by RIA Novosti citing the politician, Boris Chernyshov sent an appeal about possible compensation to Rosaviatsiya (the Federal Air Transport Agency). Moreover, the deputy is confident that the pilot should be returned to flying duties.

I have appealed to Rosaviatsiya: I propose that if the court grants the claim to recover this huge sum from Belov, the state should take on these expenses. It is also necessary to immediately return Sergei Belov to flying work. The ongoing legal battles have nothing to do with his professional skill. I am sure any airline would consider it an honor to hire such a specialist.

Recall that the plane, flying from Sochi to Omsk, made an emergency landing in a field in September 2023. No one was injured. As the airliner«s crew later 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 could not reach it due to lack of fuel. They had to land in a field. Experts considered this action unjustified. A criminal case was opened against Belov.