Investigation Summary
The incident began during the approach to Omsk when a flexible hose in the right main landing gear door actuator failed, causing a total loss of pressure in the green hydraulic system. This system is critical for landing gear operation, normal braking, and nosewheel steering. The crew initiated a go-around and decided to divert to Novosibirsk (OVB), which offered a longer runway (3,600 meters compared to Omsk's 2,500 meters) to accommodate a landing with limited braking capability. Crucially, the crew attempted to retract the landing gear, but because the green hydraulic system was depleted, the gear remained down and locked. The pilots failed to recognize this configuration, believing only the gear doors remained open. This led them to use a 25 percent fuel consumption penalty factor in their calculations rather than the 180 percent penalty required for flight with extended gear. As the aircraft cruised toward Novosibirsk at FL180, the fuel consumption was significantly higher than predicted. Upon realizing they would not reach the airport, the captain selected a wheat field for an emergency landing.
Final Conclusions
The investigation by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) concluded that the primary cause was crew error in fuel management and situational awareness. The pilots failed to verify the actual position of the landing gear after the hydraulic failure and made an unjustified decision to divert without calculating the fuel penalty for 'gear-down' flight. The report also noted a manufacturing defect in the hydraulic hose (FIN 2767GM), which failed prematurely due to uneven wall thickness in the PTFE tube. Suboptimal workload distribution and failure to follow ECAM checklists contributed to the critical fuel state.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Ural Flight 1383's wild save (No runway needed) — The story of Ural Airlines Flight 1383, an Airbus A320 that made a miraculous emergency landing in a Siberian wheat field after running low on fuel.
Watch on YouTube ↗If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Systems & Failure Modes
Green Hydraulic System
One of three independent hydraulic systems on the A320, responsible for landing gear operation, normal brakes, and the left engine thrust reverser.
ECAM (Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor)
The system that displays aircraft functions and failure messages; the crew failed to fully execute the checklists provided by this system.
FMS (Flight Management System)
The computer used for navigation and fuel predictions, which did not account for the increased drag of the extended landing gear.
Interesting Facts
- 01The airline officially abandoned plans to fly the aircraft out of the field in April 2024, deciding instead to dismantle it for spare parts.
- 02The green hydraulic system failure was caused by a manufacturing defect in a flexible hose installed in 2019, which had uneven wall thickness.
- 03The crew calculated they would arrive in Novosibirsk with 1,200 kg of fuel, but they actually required an additional 5.6 tons to reach the alternate with the gear extended.
- 04Two senior managers at Ural Airlines were dismissed following the accident due to deficiencies in flight safety and pilot training.
- 05This was the second time a Ural Airlines pilot successfully landed an Airbus A320 family aircraft in a field, following Flight 178 in 2019.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Crew Training Revision
The investigation recommended enhanced training for flight crews regarding fuel calculations during non-standard configurations, specifically emphasizing the fuel penalty for flight with extended landing gear.
Maintenance Protocol Update
Recommendations were made to improve maintenance inspections of hydraulic hoses to identify potential manufacturing defects before failure.
Operational Policy Change
Ural Airlines removed a recommendation that encouraged crews to divert to airports with better maintenance facilities (like Novosibirsk) rather than landing at the nearest suitable airport during an emergency.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Retracted Initial Report
Reference ↗The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency retracted the first final report published in October 2023 due to dissatisfaction with the quality of the investigation, leading to a second, more detailed probe.