5 may 2019 from Sheremetyevo to Murmansk, flew a Sukhoi Superjet. Almost immediately the Board was struck by lightning, disconnect the autopilot, and the crew decided to return. The plane made an emergency landing and caught fire, killing 41 out of 78 people aboard. The case was submitted to the court.
the Consequence calls only guilty of an accident of the commander of the ship Denis Evdokimov, who allegedly made a number of blunders. But the pilot denies his guilt, he claims that at the time of landing the plane allegedly lost control. Evdokimov is under house arrest with the press communicates. The Correspondent Of”.ru” was the first who thoroughly talked to him and listened to his version of events.
“Ribbon.ru”: Let’s try to reconstruct the events of may 5th. What was the weather like, did it even make sense to fly? Who took the final decision to go flying that day?
Evdokimov: the Weather is not anything unusual. Obtained the weather data meets the requirements when deciding on the flight. While on the runway, I was guided by the information of meteorical and examined the space in the direction of take-off to establish the absence of hazardous weather phenomena, which drew the attention of the other pilot. The final decision on takeoff, the continuation of the flight, on landing in any case takes the aircraft commander (FAC). Accordingly, I, as captain on the flight decided on the takeoff and early flight.
the aircraft was struck by lightning. Control switched to the manual mode, the so-called Direct mode. It is in principle full-time history?
lightning strikes a plane it is not uncommon, but usually it does not lead to malfunction of the aircraft systems. In the same flight the discharge of atmospheric electricity brought down one of the most important systems of the aircraft, namely control system.
Neither the investigation nor the MAC (international aviation Committee — approx. “Of the tape.ru”) are not interested in the fact that the exposure plane of atmospheric electricity, this in the case simply there are no words except the testimony of passengers and crew members. Can assume that such a bypass the important fact is connected with the risk to the reputation of the manufacturer Superjet.
You have had the experience of managing the Superjet in Direct mode? This regime was worked out during the training?
the Direct Mode is fulfilled when trained on the type of aircraft and then in accordance with the approved aviation authorities program fitness workouts. A training flight in the real aircraft in this mode is not provided.
was the management in reality from the management on that machine?
typically, management in this mode, the simulator does not ��makes you difficulties. In flight 5 may control the aircraft in this mode is very different from the simulator.
Why still you decided to return and not continued the flight to Murmansk?
Further, the flight to Murmansk was impossible, as in the Direct mode, the flight can be performed only at low altitudes, leading to increased fuel consumption. The required additional reserve on that flight it was on. Numerous failures indicated on the display of the aircraft is also not allowed to make a decision about the continuation of the flight to the airport of destination, so as to establish the degree of fault of an airplane in flight was not possible.
Why you decided not to circle the airport to produce fuel, and to sit with full tanks? Isn’t that a potential emergency situation?
This decision was taken based on fears of losing the ability to control the aircraft at all. As I have previously said, the effects of atmospheric electricity does not lead to failure of the aircraft systems, in our case, the observed violations. If it was the impact of the discharge exceeding the power of certification value, the presence in the air could lead to a cascading increase of failures in aircraft systems that would lead to a complete loss of control.
During landing, according to published records, you say a phrase: “what is it? Plus-minus 200 feet”. What this phrase means?
When performing horizontal flight me, it was noted the difficulty in accurately maintaining a predetermined height.
representative of the Investigative Committee claims that the plane adequately respond to the pilot’s actions. You, in turn, said, according to your lawyer that the plane was tossed from side the side. So what exactly happened with the handling of the ship?
Yeah, but he’s not talking about that at the time of filing charges against me in business were absent at least some decoding parameters of the flight, not to mention a detailed analysis of the actions and reactions of the aircraft to control actions. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the investigators were limited to the admissibility of the file with alarm recorder, which does not register a comprehensive number of flight information, while the MAC also uses the file from the second operational flight recorder, which contains a full list of information, including failures of aircraft systems.
this is the Delay of the decoded streaming chart of the flight was approximately one second, this time is critical in the management of the control surfaces near the ground.
When you have fixed the loss handling?
Significant deviation, expressed in the lag phase of the reaction vessel to control actions of the pilot, were apparent at the time of landing.
Approximately 15:28 alarm went off, warning of dangerous wind shear near the ground. It was a voice message “Go around, windshear ahead!” (that is, the requirement to go to the second round), but the crew ignored him. Why?
This voice message is not a requirement for the missed approach and informs the crew about the likelihood of the presence of wind shear. At the moment signs of such a shift was not observed.
In the preliminary report of the MAC says that when landing you have made sweeping motions with the control stick, deflecting it from himself and in himself almost to the end. Why?
When control of the aircraft the pilot does not look at the control knob, and, rejecting it, or looking at the attitude indicator, either on the strip (to perform the landing), the amount of deflection depends on the reaction of the aircraft to the control action. The pilot pulls on the stick the aircraft does not respond, the pilot continues to pull to the required response. Further there is a sharp change in the specified parameter, which is countered by the pilot to maintain spatial position and avoid going over the limit.
To planting on may 5 difficulties with the management of the Superjet you or your colleagues in the squad were not there?
above while flying and landing in manual mode, I have not experienced problems with the piloting, but in this flight control mode Direct mode for a reason other than described by the manufacturer, and consequently the correct operation may be compromised.
Colleagues who are faced with this regime, noted some instability of the aircraft in this mode, which, incidentally, according to the preliminary report of the MAC indicating that these circumstances will be analyzed, which to date has not happened.
we Need to examine what happened to the control after exposure to atmospheric electricity. But to explore the aircraft no one, not even acknowledged the evidence. Lack of research leaves the causes of the catastrophe unrevealed, respectively, do not exclude the repetition of the situation.
Airplane goats and bounced off the ground. Why after the first contact and separation from the earth you go to the second round as required by the instructions?
the go-around was impossible due reverse reaction of the aircraft to control actions. The increase in operating mode before take-off gives a very strong increment in pitching moment that the reverse reaction on control action would lead to burying��NIJ nose into the runway, or crash on the tail. In both cases, I’m sure all would have died…
landing Gear when the landing collapsed and damaged the fuel tank, leading to leakage of kerosene and ignite. In the “airworthiness requirements” States that any destruction of the chassis should not cause damage to tanks. However, the representative of the Ministry of industry and trade said that the chassis provide a safe base only “in the mode of single touch” and three strikes would not survive. In your opinion, how many strokes of the chassis should withstand?
I Think the version of the Ministry of industry and trade of safe polome chassis far-fetched. The airworthiness standards of all written, and further explanation is not required.
Also says that test flights with landing at a weight exceeding maximum landing, was not, although the manufacturer wrote about the possibility of landing mass to maximum takeoff.
were there any problems with the chassis models Superjet before?
Similar problems have been, a lot of people read in the network information is. In 2008, on a demonstration flight in Le Bourget in 2018 — in a test flight in Zhukovsky, in 2018 — when landing in Yakutsk. In all these cases the chassis has damaged the wall of the fuel tank with a fuel leak, and only by a lucky chance has not led to casualties. The problem is repeated, and the Ministry of industry and trade its hard not to see.
what do you think was the cause of the accident and loss of life?
do not meet the norms of airworthiness. If the manufacturer of on time modified aircraft, aviation incidents of this nature would not occur, and therefore the safety would be at an acceptable level, the risks would be reduced to the minimum.
I want to Express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and those injured in the crash. I sincerely regret and apologize that he became a participant in those events. More precisely, I understood that the lives of passengers and crew members depends on the correctness of my actions, and undertook all possible.
it was Not the day nor the minute I thought of those who could not get off the ground safely. I will not back down, and for what it’s worth, what would be the risks for the fate of my family may create, will continue to seek to ascertain the true and accurate reason that contributed to the occurrence of tragic consequences, because it affects the lives and health of people who continue to fly on Superjet.
