Lecture
The aircraft crew encountered technical malfunctions during the approach for landing:
deterioration of the pilot's condition
cabin pressurization problems
failure of the landing gear and flaps to extend
loss of pressure in the brake hydraulic system
Several go-arounds were performed, and the landing was ultimately carried out on an unpaved runway in emergency mode.
The crew:
Continuously reported parameters: altitude, heading, distance, and system status
Decided to make repeated approaches in order to stabilize the situation
Handed control over to the co-pilot when their condition worsened
Performed a manual charge of the hydraulic system and prepared for a flapless landing
Remained calm and kept altitude under control despite the system failures
Air traffic controllers:
Provided accurate data on headings, altitude, and distance
Checked on the technical condition of the aircraft and the crew
Offered an alternative landing strip (unpaved)
Coordinated the actions of the rescue services
Gave recommendations on operating the systems (feathering, brakes, flaps)
Consultant:
Assisted the crew with technical advice on the hydraulic system, landing gear struts, and hatches
The crew:
Several times failed to extend the landing gear and flaps in a timely manner — it may have been better to switch to manual control sooner
There were signs of conflict between the pilots ("give me control") — this is critical in an emergency situation
The distress signal was not switched on immediately, despite the deteriorating condition
Air traffic controllers:
At certain points repeated commands without checking the crew's response
Did not always respond promptly to emotional signals ("I'm feeling worse and worse")
Despite the technical failures and the stressful environment, the crew and air traffic controllers acted in a coordinated manner. The landing was completed successfully, taking all constraints into account. The key roles were played by:
competent communication
readiness for manual control
support from the consultant
approximate diagram of the flight path and events
Transcript of the tape recording of radio communications between the controller of the Chelyabinsk Regional Air Traffic Control Center and the crew of An-12 No. 10343
Legend:
C — Crew
D — Dispatcher (Controller)
A — Aircraft (another crew)
Consultant — technical specialist assisting the communications
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| 09:32:56 | C | «Chelyabinsk Control», 10343 |
| 09:33:00 | D | 10343, «Chelyabinsk Control» |
| 09:33:05 | C | 343, 4,200, cleared to 7,800, estimating passing Zlatoust at minute 35 |
| 09:33:06 | D | 343, take up 7,800 |
| 09:33:11 | C | Taking up 7,800 |
| 09:33:41 | D | 343, what time did you take off? |
| 09:33:52 | C | At minute 19, 343 |
| 09:33:54 | D | Understood |
| 09:37:03 | D | 343, approaching Zlatoust, are you ready to proceed direct to Ufa? |
| 09:37:15 | D | 10343 |
| 09:37:18 | C | Receiving, 343 |
| 09:37:23 | D | 343, passing Zlatoust, are you ready to go direct to Ufa? |
| 09:37:26 | C | Affirmative, ready for Ufa, 343 |
| 09:37:30 | D | 343, take up heading for Ufa |
| 09:38:50 | C | Chelyabinsk, 10343, passing Zlatoust at 6,100, leaving your zone at minute 49 |
| 09:39:00 | D | Did not copy, who is this? |
| 09:39:03 | C | 10343, Zlatoust at 7,800, leaving zone at minute 49 |
| 09:39:05 | D | 343, understood, maintain 7,800 |
| 09:39:08 | C | Will report 7,800 |
| 09:50:00 | D | 343, distance 205 on track, 7,800, Ufa 126.9 |
| 11:13 | C | Aircraft, aircraft respond, aircraft, aircraft respond, 343 |
| 11:13 | A | Aircraft, what did 343 want? |
| 11:14 | C | 343, the crew is in distress. Guide us to an airfield |
| 11:14 | A | 343, where are you located? |
| 11:14 | C | 343, we have lost our bearings |
| 11:14 | C | 343, I have lost my bearings |
| 11:14 | A | What type is it? |
| 11:14 | C | 343, holding heading 250°, in a turn |
| 11:14 | D | «Amper», heading 190° to the Ufa beacon |
| 11:14 | C | 343, understood, heading 190° |
| 11:14 | D | 343, altitude? |
| 11:14 | C | 343, altitude 4,800 |
| 11:14 | D | 343, 7,800? |
| 11:15 | C | 343, maintaining 7,800, taking heading 190° |
continuation of the radio communications table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | D | Altitude 7,800? |
| — | C | Maintaining 7,800, 343 |
| — | D | 343, understood |
| — | C | Holding heading 190° |
| — | D | 343, stay on frequency, 7,800, heading 190° |
| 11:16 | C | Taking 190°, beacon, holding heading |
| 11:17 | C | 343, confirm the controls |
| — | D | 343, hold heading 190° |
| — | C | Turning away, in a bank |
| — | D | 190°, 343 |
| — | D | 343, switch to 133.8 |
| — | C | I won't be able to |
| — | D | 343, what is going on aboard? |
| — | C | Distress, the entire crew is unconscious |
| — | D | 343, understood, aircraft type, 343? |
| 11:17 | C | Answered |
| — | D | Aircraft type? |
| 11:18 | C | An-12 |
| 11:19 | D | 343, can you tell the cause? Heading to the Ufa beacon, 343, maintain 7,800 for now |
| — | C | 7,800… possibly a depressurization, a pressure drop, zero in the cabin |
| — | D | 343, turn right, 30° right of track, emergency descent to 4,000 m |
| — | C | Did you clear us to descend to 4,000? |
| — | D | Take up 4,000, turn right 30° |
| — | C | Taking heading 90, immediately heading 200 |
| — | D | Heading 210 |
| — | C | 210, turning |
| — | D | Take up 4,000 |
| — | C | Descending |
| 11:20 | C | Thank you for establishing contact, it's been about 40 minutes, maybe, or a full hour |
| — | D | All aircraft, maintain radio silence |
| 11:21 | D | 343, respond |
| — | C | Responding |
| — | D | Please tell me your actual altitude |
| — | C | 7,800 |
| — | D | You were cleared to 4,000 |
| — | C | Descending now |
| 11:22 | D | 343, Amper Circle, this is Ufa Circle answering |
| — | D | Did you answer? |
continuation of the table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | C | Responding |
| — | D | Your altitude? |
| — | C | Passing 7,000 |
| — | C | Passed altitude 6,800, starting to think clearly |
| — | D | Understood, report at 4,000, heading to the Ufa beacon |
| — | C | Heading 200 |
| — | D | Hold heading 200, 343, toward the Ufa beacon |
| — | C | Maintaining heading 200 |
| — | C | I don't know how to use the ADF, I can't tell |
| 11:24 | D | Work on this frequency, heading 200º |
| — | C | 343, 200º |
| — | D | Your inbound is 20º, outbound 200º, hold 200º toward the beacon |
| — | C | Maintaining 200, I have no beacon indication |
| — | D | On heading 200º, I'm guiding you to the Ufa beacon |
| — | C | The navigator started saying something |
| — | D | 343, understood, take up 4,000 on heading 200º |
| — | C | Understood |
| — | C | The pressure drop in the cabin has started |
| — | D | Understood |
| — | D | 343, will you be able to switch frequency? |
| — | C | No, I won't be able to |
| — | D | Work on this frequency |
| 11:25 | C | Understood |
| 11:26 | D | How are you feeling? |
| — | C | Difficult |
| — | D | Take up 1,800, heading 200 |
| — | C | 1,800, maintaining heading 200 |
| 11:27 | D | 343, can you increase your rate of descent? |
| 11:28 | C | Holding at 7 m/s for now |
| — | C | Something has happened to the aircraft |
| — | D | 343, altitude? |
| — | C | Wait |
| — | D | 343, altitude? |
| — | C | 4,080, I don't understand what's happening |
| — | C | Are we really going to crash? |
| — | D |
Stay calm, stay calm, we're bringing you into Ufa, everything will be fine now, you have a depressurization, your consciousness has clouded slightly from lack of oxygen |
| — | C | I can't |
continuation of the radio communications table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | D | 343, stay calm, the airfield is close, distance 30 km, guiding you in for landing |
| — | D | 343, Ufa will answer |
| — | C | We'll try now |
| — | D | Distance 30 km, I see you on radar, guiding you in for landing |
| — | C | No strength left, I don't understand what's wrong with the aircraft |
| — | D | Stay calm, take up heading 230 |
| 11:31 | D | Heading 230, 230, look at the compass, heading 230 |
| — | D | 343, Ufa |
| — | C | One minute |
| — | D | 343, answer Ufa |
| — | C | Well, something seems to be working |
| — | D | Stay calm, I have you in sight, what heading did you take? |
| — | C | I'm going to sort the aircraft out completely now |
| — | D | What heading did you take? |
| — | C | I'm still flying the aircraft |
| — | D | 343, Ufa |
| 11:31 | C | 343, responding |
| — | D | Your heading? |
| — | C | Heading 100º |
| — | D | 343, stay calm, heading 180 |
| 11:34 | D | 343, Ufa |
| — | C | 343, answered |
| — | D | Heading 180 |
| — | C | Turning in |
| — | D | Your altitude? |
| — | C | 4,800 |
| — | D | 343, take up 1,800 |
| — | C | 1,800, understood, if the captain hadn't interfered with the controls we would have landed long ago |
| — | D | 343, heading 180º, what happened on board? |
| 11:35 | C | The captain came to, he's coming round now, he can't quite make sense of things |
| — | D | 343, is the co-pilot handling communications? |
| — | D | 343, I have you in sight, your distance is 40 km, inbound 40º, hold heading 180º |
| — | C | All right, it's fine now, turning to 180, the captain isn't interfering for now |
| — | C | How tired I am |
| — | D | Stay calm, stay calm, the airfield is close |
| — | C | Toward Ufa |
| — | D | Ufa is receiving you, your distance is 36 km, heading 180 |
continuation of the table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| 11:36 | C | Please give us the landing heading |
| — | D | Landing heading 320º, I'll guide you in by radar; your distance is 35 km, heading 180º |
| — | C | 320 |
| — | D | Correct |
| 11:37 | C | Descending |
| — | D | 343, take up 1,200, heading 200 |
| — | C | I'm feeling worse and worse |
| — | D | 343, take up 1,200 |
| — | C | Will report 1,200 |
| — | D | 343, altitude? |
| — | C | 343, passing 2,700 |
| — | D | 343, understood, distance 30, inbound 75º |
| — | D | 343, what is the cabin pressure and cabin altitude? |
| — | C | Cabin altitude has risen to 4, there is no pressure differential |
| 11:38 | D | Understood |
| — | D | 343, altitude? |
| — | C | Passed 2,300 |
| — | D | 343, heading 180, switch on the distress signal |
| — | C | I can't reach it |
| — | D | 343, understood |
| — | C | Crew, switch on the distress signal |
| — | D | 343, your heading? |
| — | C | Heading 160, turning |
| — | D | 343, altitude? |
| — | C | Altitude 2,300 |
| — | D | 343, heading 220, take up 1,200 |
| — | C | Understood, 220, 1,200 |
| 11:40 | D | How are you feeling? |
| — | D | 343, landing heading 320, transitioning to 1,200, pressure setting 775, take up 1,200 for now |
| — | C | Understood, 1,200 |
| — | C | Took up heading 220 |
| — | D | 343, understood, inbound 110º, take up 900 m |
| — | C | I still have 2,200 |
| — | D | Cleared to descend to 900 |
| 11:41 | D | 343, heading 220, distance 35, inbound 120 |
| — | D | Distance 35, approaching the turn |
| — | D | 343, altitude? Set pressure 775 |
| — | C | Set 775, passing 2,000 on this setting |
continuation of the table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | D | 343, understood, on heading 230, take up 900 for now |
| — | C | Understood, taking up 900 |
| 11:42 | D | 343, turn right onto heading 310 |
| — | C | Understood, 310 to the right, descending. I feel so bad |
| — | D | Hang in there, guys, hang in there, distance 35, the runway is ahead |
| 11:44 | D | 343, press |
| — | C | Pressing now, passing 1,300 |
| — | D | 343, distance 29, on the landing course |
| 11:45 | D | 343, distance 25 |
| — | C | Relative to the runway, please tell me which side? |
| — | D | 343, the runway is ahead on the heading, you are on the landing course |
| — | C | Maintaining direction for now |
| — | D | 343, Ufa landing |
| — | C | Please tell me the distance |
| — | D | 343, distance 20, 1,600 m left of the landing course |
| — | D | 343, heading 340º |
| — | C | 340º, turning |
| 11:46 | C | 600 m, rolling out level |
| — | D | 343, come right slightly, heading 340 |
| — | D | 343, distance 15, left 2,000 on this heading toward the fourth turn |
| — | D | 343, check the landing gear extension |
| — | D | 343, heading 320 |
| — | C | Captain, what are you doing, give it to me |
| — | D | Heading 320, 343 |
| — | C | Understood, understood, was struggling with the captain |
| 11:47 | D | Have you lowered the landing gear? |
| — | C | Not yet |
| — | D | Lower the landing gear, maintain altitude, you're too low! Stop the descent! |
| — | C | Captain, we'll crash, what are you doing! |
| — | D | 343, stop the descent, distance 10, look, the runway is ahead to the left |
| — | D | 343, reduce your rate of descent. Have you lowered the gear? |
| — | C | Lowering it |
| — | D | 343, heading 310, come left slightly |
| 11:48 | C | Coming around |
| — | C | The landing gear is not down |
| — | D | 343, heading 230 |
| — | C | Turning to 230 |
| — | D | Take up altitude 500 |
continuation of the table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | C | Understood, taking up 500, currently at 400 |
| — | C | That's it, going around |
| — | C | Everything seems to have recovered, but the landing gear won't extend |
| — | D | 343, left turn onto heading 140 |
| 11:49 | C | Let's fly a bit further out to recover |
| 11:50 | D | 343, turning left, heading 140 |
| — | C | Turning |
| — | D | 343, altitude? |
| — | C | 500 |
| — | D | Hold 500 m |
| — | C | Maintaining |
| 11:51 | D | 343, extend the landing gear |
| — | C | Extending |
| — | C | Not extending yet |
| — | C | Took heading 140 |
| — | D | Your distance per the pattern is 7 km |
| — | D | 343, please tell me your remaining fuel |
| — | C | Plenty of fuel, we'll have enough |
| — | D | 343, understood |
| — | C | 140, heading taken, altitude 550 |
| — | D | 343, understood, maintain 140º |
| — | C | Maintaining 140 |
| — | C | Fuel 12 tons, 343 |
| — | D | How are you feeling? |
| 11:53 | C | Handing control over to the captain |
| — | D | 343, approaching per the pattern, landing heading 320 |
| — | C | Understood |
| — | D | Have you lowered the landing gear, 343? |
| 11:54 | C | No, still lowering |
| — | D | 343, how are you feeling? |
| — | C (co-pilot) | Well, they've improved, but I've gotten worse |
| — | D | 343, understood, is it the captain's decision to land or to keep circling until you feel better? |
| — | C | We'll go around once more and then land |
| — | D | 343, one more circuit? |
| — | C | Yes, making the third approach |
| — | D | 343, proceed with the third |
| 11:55 | C | The landing gear won't extend, 343 |
| — | D | 343, understood, no descent, we'll make another approach |
| 12:51 | D | Going around, 343 |
continuation of the radio communications table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | C | 343, how is our nose gear? |
| — | D | 343, the nose gear is extended |
| — | Consultant | 343, look at the nose gear yourselves through the hatch and report |
| — | C | Right away |
| — | C | The main gear legs have locked |
| — | Consultant | Good, excellent |
| — | C | The nose gear has locked |
| — | D | 343, we're beginning the approach, left turn, heading 230, take up 500 |
| — | C | Taking up 500 |
| — | D | 343, heading toward the third turn area |
| — | C | Understood, toward the third turn area |
| — | D | Condition of the crew, 343, for making the landing? |
| 12:51 | C | Excellent, prepared |
| — | D | Make the left turn |
| — | C | Doing it |
| — | C | 343, and our cowl flaps appear retracted visually |
| — | D | 343, they say they're not retracted |
| 12:52 | D | You can check for yourselves through the access panels |
| — | C | We can |
| — | D | Second turn |
| — | C | Making the second turn, 343 |
| 12:54 | C | 343, the lights are on, the cowl flaps are closed, everything is fine |
| — | D | 343, understood, will we be landing on the unpaved runway? |
| — | C | Yes |
| 12:55 | Consultant | 343, before landing open the door and the cargo hatch |
| — | C | Open the door and cargo hatch |
| — | Consultant | The cockpit door |
| — | C | Open, already opened |
| — | D | 343, understood, distance 12 km |
| 12:56 | D | 343, third turn |
| — | C | Third turn completed |
| — | D | 343, by what method were the cowl flaps closed? |
| — | C | Manually, using fuel |
| — | D | Heading 50º |
| — | C | Understood |
| — | D | 343, fourth turn, heading 320º |
| — | C | Making the fourth |
| 12:57 | D | 343, left 1,000 |
continuation of the radio communications table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | D | 343, left 600 |
| — | C | Coming around |
| — | D | Left 1,500, distance 12 |
| 12:58 | D | On course |
| — | D | 343, distance 10, approaching the glide path, on course, descend |
| — | C | 500, entering the glide path, 343 |
| — | D | 343, the landing will be on the unpaved runway, approach after the outer marker per the main-start pattern |
| — | C | Understood, preparing for the unpaved runway |
| — | D | Distance 8,500 m, below the glide path, reduce your rate of descent |
| — | C | 420 |
| — | D | 343, inner marker, will overfly at 80 |
| — | C | Understood, inner marker 80 |
| — | D | 343, left 100 m, come right slightly, above the glide path 5 |
| — | C | Corrected, 430 |
| — | D | 343, above the glide path 30 m |
| — | D | 343, above 50, distance 5,500, left 50 |
| 12:59 | C | Understood, 343, trying to extend the flaps |
| — | D | 343, above the glide path 60 m |
| — | C | 343, our flaps are not extending. We'll move further out now. We'll either extend the flaps beforehand and make a second approach, or land without flaps |
| — | D | Take up 500 m with a left turn, heading 320 |
| — | C | Taking up 500 to the left |
| — | D | I also recommend extending the flaps using fuel |
| — | C | Extending |
| 13:00 | C | Making the second, 343 |
| — | D | Heading 230 for now |
| — | D | 343, make the second turn |
| — | C | 343, making it |
| — | D | 343, charge the brake hydraulic system with the manual pump using fuel |
| — | C | Say again |
| — | Consultant | Charge the hydraulic accumulators with fuel so that you have pressure for braking |
| — | C | Charge the hydraulic accumulators with fuel? |
| — | Consultant | Charge the accumulator with fuel so that you have pressure to control the nose gear |
| 13:01 | C | Charged |
| — | D | On landing, lower the nose gear a bit later and maintain direction with the rudder |
| — | C | Understood |
continuation of the radio communications table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| 13:02 | D | 343, distance 13 km, offset 7, third turn at your discretion |
| — | C | Making the third |
| — | D | Third turn at your discretion |
| — | C | Understood |
| — | Consultant | 343, is there pressure on the gauge in the emergency hydraulic accumulator? |
| 13:03 | C | No, 343 |
| — | Consultant | Understood |
| — | Consultant | 343, evidently the brakes won't be working for you |
| — | C | Evidently |
| 13:04 | D | After landing, at a speed of about 100 km/h feather all four propellers from full power and de-energize the aircraft |
| — | C | Understood |
| 13:05 | D | 343, distance 20, offset 7 |
| — | C | 800 |
| — | C | Extending the flaps |
| 13:06 | D | Understood, third turn at your discretion |
| — | D | 343, distance 25 |
| — | C | 850 |
| 13:07 | D | 343, distance 28 |
| — | C | Making the third, 343 |
| — | D | 343, proceed |
| — | D | 343, fourth turn |
| — | C | In the turn, 343 |
| — | D | 343, distance 29, reciprocal 300 |
| — | C | Understood, 850 |
| — | D | 343, unpaved runway is 90 wide, 1,900 long |
| — | C | Length, 1,900 |
| — | D | 343, ready for the landing approach |
| — | C | Approaching for landing, 343 |
| — | D | 343, reciprocal 308, distance 27 |
| — | C | Understood, 343 |
| 13:08 | D | Distance 20 km, right 500 |
| — | Consultant | Have you extended the flaps? |
| — | C | Flaps at 25, 343, not going further |
| — | Consultant | Good, 25, speed 260 on final |
| 13:09 | C | 260 on the glide path, understood |
| — | D | 343, distance 15 km, on course |
| — | C | 550 |
| 13:10 | D | 343, distance 12,500, on course |
end of the radio communications table
| Time | Who transmitted | Content of the radio exchange |
|---|---|---|
| — | C | 580 |
| — | D | 343, distance 12, approaching the glide path, on course |
| — | C | 550 |
| — | D | 343, the ends of the unpaved runway have a 400 m overrun area, snow up to 20 cm |
| 13:10 | C | Information received, 343 |
| 13:11 | D | 343, distance 8,500, on course, on the glide path |
| — | C | 450 |
| — | D | 343, distance 6, on course, on the glide path |
| — | C | 320 |
| — | D | 343, 5, on course, on the glide path |
| — | D | 343, outer marker, turn left, approaching the unpaved runway |
| — | C | 343, outer marker, landing on the unpaved runway |
| — | D | Cleared to land, 343 |
| 13:12 | C | Cleared |
| — | C | Is there any wind? |
| — | C | 343, please give us the wind |
| — | D | 343, wind 100°, 3 m/s, tailwind |
| — | C | Understood, tailwind 3 meters |
| — | D | 1,500 to the runway |
| — | C | 100 |
| — | D | Passing the inner marker at 80 |
| — | C | Inner marker 80 |
| 13:13 | D | 500 to the runway, the runway is ahead of you |
| — | C | Observing it |
| — | C | Runway, 343 |
| — | D | 343, stop on the unpaved runway |
| — | D | 343, stopped |
| — | C | Stopping |
| — | D | Stopped, open the hatches, emergency and rescue crews are rushing to you |
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