Engine problem forces return to base (251 words)

Published: 8/6/2001

On 2nd August, a Ural Airlines Il-86 with 308 passengers on board made an emergency landing at Ekaterinburg's Koltsovo Airport. The Il-86, en route from Ekaterinburg to Antolya in Turkey, had problems with its third engine one hour into its flight and the crew shut down the engine and returned to Ekaterinburg, where it landed successfully. Its passengers flew to the resort later in the day. A team from the GSGA's Ural regional office is now investigating the incident and the engine has removed for shipment to the Kazan Motor Plant for repair. According to Ural Airlines, the engine had done 1,440 hours, well short of its limit of 6,000. Sergey Skuratov, General Director, said that the aircraft will have its engine replaced and is expected to be back in service in the next few days. The incident provoked an alarmist response from the Russian media, suggesting that the plane was about to crash and denouncing the fact that the aircraft was not diverted to Samara, over which it was flying at the time. The return to base, however, is not particularly surprising given that the option of undertaking repairs on the ground, either in Samara or at the destination, would have been an expensive one. The aircraft also does not seem to have been immediate danger, being reportedly capable of landing with two engines and even one, if necessary, according to one commentator, quoted in the local press.

Article ID: 2687