The Miracle on Kukuruzon is the name given to the emergency landing of a Russian aircraft by social media users around the world… Early in the morning, August 15, 2019, an Airbus A321 was flying the route “Moscow-Simferopol.” The aircraft of “Ural Airlines” was fully operational and fueled to capacity. Nothing foreshadowed trouble—except for a flock of birds circling near the airport.
During ascent from Zhukovsky airport, the plane at high speed flew into a flock of gulls. Several dozen birds entered both engines of the aircraft, causing turbine fires. Losing thrust, the plane turned into a glider, which was not so easy to bring back to the ground. A full tank of fuel and 226 passengers created a hopeless situation for any pilot.
Miracle on Kukuruzon: Emergency Landing of A321
The crew commander, Damir Yusupov, and the co-pilot, Georgiy Murzin, made an extraordinary decision. To land the plane by gliding onto a cornfield. Violating Airbus instructions, the brave pilots unanimously decided not to extend the landing gear, but to land on the “belly.” Later, this decision was called the only correct one by the commission. With full tanks of fuel, bouncing across the field on wheels could have caused an explosion.
The emergency landing of the A321 is compared to the miracle on the Hudson. In jest, one social media user called what happened “The Miracle on Kukuruzon.” And the public picked up the phrase. Now, there are pilots-virtuosos in Russia who managed to save hundreds of lives.
Perhaps, after such events, a film about heroic pilots will even be made. After the Hudson landing, legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood made a wonderful biographical film. The movie “Miracle on the Hudson” starring Tom Hanks received positive reviews from viewers and critics.
