A Pilot Let His Children Take Control Of The Aircraft And It Crashed | Final Moments Recorded!
On March 23, 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 started its routine journey from Moscow, Russia, to Hong Kong. However, things became tragic as two kids took control of the flight. The flight was operated by a leased Airbus A310-304. It crashed into the Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range in Southern Siberia. The crash claimed the lives of all 75 people on board.
The collision was triggered by a reckless decision of the relief pilot. The relief captain’s two children were in the cockpit and they got hold of the control of the airplane. They disengaged with the autopilot and missed the route. The cockpit voice recorder recovered later, revealed that the children were allowed to sit at the controls. It started a disastrous chain of events. Let’s have a closer look at the tragedy that unfolded.
The Airbus And All the People On Board
The aircraft was an Airbus A310-304, powered by General Electric CF6-80C2A2 engines. This is a model known for its powerful technical capabilities. The crew consisted of highly experienced pilots, including Captain Andrey Viktorovich Danilov and Relief Captain Yaroslav Vladimirovich Kudrinsky. They had plenty of hours logged on this aircraft type.
The flight carried 63 passengers, including 40 Russian nationals and 23 businessmen from Hong Kong and Taiwan. A crew of 13 was also on the plane. At the time, Russian aviation regulations technically prohibited passengers from entering the cockpit during flight. But it was not unusual for such rules to be relaxed, allowing visits, especially for crew members’ families.
A Family Visit Turns Tragic
The series of events leading to the tragedy began a few hours into the flight. Captain Danilov retired to rest, leaving Kudrinsky in charge. Kudrinsky’s children, aged 15 (his son) and 13 (his daughter), were allowed into the cockpit.
The flight was on autopilot at the time. However, as the children were permitted to manipulate the controls, the older child accidentally disengaged the autopilot’s control of the aircraft.
Flight Spins Uncontrollably!
The partial disengagement of autopilot went unnoticed due to the lack of audible alarms. The crew, conditioned to Soviet-era aircraft, failed to detect it.
Things quickly went downhill from there onwards. The aircraft began to bank steeply, exceeding its safe angles. Attempts by the crew to correct the situation only made things worse. The flight was led to a pause and ultimately a fatal spin.
The flight data recorder indicated that the aircraft entered a series of aerodynamic stalls and spins that the pilots struggled to control. The autopilot, overwhelmed and disengaged entirely, left the aircraft in a bad state. Despite the crew’s bold efforts, the severe banking and spins were too much to recover from at the altitude they were at.
The Cockpit Recorder Found!
In the wake of the crash, Aeroflot initially denied that children had been in the cockpit. However, they later admitted the fact when a cockpit voice recorder transcript was discovered. The incident sparked a heated debate in the media and among the public about the adequacy of pilot training and cockpit security protocols. It led to stricter global regulations regarding cockpit access during flight.
This tragic event was also documented in the “Kid in the Cockpit” episode of the Canadian TV series Mayday, highlighting the critical moments and decisions that led to the crash.
Conclusion
Aeroflot Flight 593 serves as a stark reminder of the fine line between human error and technological limits. The incident not only changed aviation policies but also left a lasting impact on the public’s perception of flight safety. It underscores the importance of adhering to protocols and respecting the boundaries between passenger experience and operational safety.
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