On 22 August, the left engine (PS-90A) of a Red Wings Tupolev Tu-204 experienced a failure shortly after take-off at Ufa Airport. The aircraft was scheduled as flight WZ808 to Sochi. Fire and flames were clearly visible (see videos below). The pilots decided to head back to Ufa Airport, all 202 passengers and crew remained unhurt.
In a statement, the Russian aviation authorities thanked the pilots for their highly professional, correct and competent actions, as well as ground services and rescue teams that prevented the situation becoming worse.
Air traffic control advised the pilots of flames coming out of the left engine. In the cockpit, however, the fire alarm and the automatic fire extinguishing system didn’t work. The pilots manually switched on the fire extinguishing system and immediately returned to the airport of departure.
After the landing of the Tu-204, the fire and rescue operations of the airport carried out an emergency extinguishing of the left engine and evacuated the passengers from the right hand side of the aircraft with the use of emergency inflatable slides.
No victims have been reported, the aircraft was evacuated from the runway and the airport is operating normally. A replacement Tu-204 (RA-64017) has left for Sochi about seven hours after the incident.
The Federal Air Transport Agency in Russia has launched an investigation.
— moscow_approach (@moscow_approach) August 22, 2018
— moscow_approach (@moscow_approach) August 22, 2018
