MSGID: 2:292/854 07142948   
   TZUTC: 0200   
   The 159 passengers of Ural Airlines flight 1383, which landed in a Russian   
   cornfield in September, will receive a thousand euros in compensation per   
   person. This is much less than they are entitled to. Some reports mention   
   pilot error as the cause of the ditch. The aircraft is still out in the field.   
       
   The 159 passengers, who all got off the A320 unscathed, received 100,000   
   rubles, which is a thousand euros. International treaties on compensation for   
   civil aviation accidents contain much higher amounts. Ural Airlines, based in   
   Yekaterinburg, says it is nevertheless adhering to the rules.   
       
   There were 159 passengers and six crew members on board the Ural Airlines A320   
   on September 12. The plane was en route from Sochi to Omsk when the pilots   
   reported hydraulic problems just before landing and made a go-around. They   
   wanted to divert to Novosibirsk airport because of the longer runway. However,   
   the additional distance was 600 kilometers.   
       
   Partly because the landing gear doors could no longer close and there was a   
   strong headwind, the aircraft consumed a lot of fuel and they could not reach   
   Novosibirsk. The captain chose to land the Airbus in a wheat field near the   
   village of Kamenka. The crew carried out the emergency landing very   
   successfully: none of the occupants suffered any significant injuries. The   
   passengers and crew were later evacuated by land.   
       
   Who is to blame?   
       
   The Russian authorities have now looked into the situation, but their   
   conclusions are not clear. In some reports, the pilots - both of whom have   
   been suspended - are blamed: they should have landed in Omsk, because the   
   captain should have known that he did not have enough fuel to reach   
   Novosibirsk in the first place.   
       
   Other researchers defend the crew. A theory that is also doing the rounds in   
   Russian aviation circles is that Ural Airlines has used inferior parts for   
   repairs due to the Western boycott. The airline has denied this.   
       
   In the meantime, the A320 is still in the cornfield. The aircraft has not   
   suffered any major damage and could technically fly again, but Ural Airlines   
   does not yet know how the aircraft can be removed. Taking off and using the   
   field as a runway is one option, albeit a risky one. Other solutions are not   
   yet available.   
       
   And the harsh winter is approaching in the area, with lots of snow and   
   extremely low temperatures. The company now appears to have chosen to pack the   
   aircraft and look for new options for salvaging the Airbus in the spring of   
   2024.   
      
   --- DB4 - 20230201   
    * Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)   
   SEEN-BY: 1/123 15/0 80/1 90/1 105/81 106/201 123/131 129/305 153/7715   
   SEEN-BY: 221/1 226/30 227/114 229/110 112 113 307 317 400 426 428   
   SEEN-BY: 229/470 664 700 280/464 282/1038 291/111 292/854 8125 301/1   
   SEEN-BY: 320/219 322/757 335/364 342/200 396/45 460/58 633/280 712/848   
   SEEN-BY: 5075/35   
   PATH: 292/854 229/426