Emergency landing of Tu-124 on the surface of the Neva (4 pics + text)

In September 1963 in Leningrad rumors about a unique state of emergency. Silver passenger liner, making a dozen laps over the city, suddenly fell and sat right on the waters of the Neva. After a while, the people of Leningrad saw that the aircraft is towed through the water somewhere to the mouth of the Neva. Thought it was filming a mischievous comedy like "Striped flight" or test machinery. But later began to say that this airplane - regular, there were passengers, and for their salvation hero captain was awarded the Order of the Red Star. So what happened?





Passenger "board", "Tu-124" under the command of Victor Jakovljevic pavement, assigned to the Tallinn Squadron and was walking from Tallinn to Moscow August 21, 1963, approaching Leningrad. Suddenly, the crew radioed that devoured one of the "legs" of the chassis and the normal intermediate landing is impossible ...

Honored Pilot of the USSR, professor of the Academy of Civil Aviation Anatoly Orkin believes that the commander of the crew of bridge and his staff had to be severely punished for carelessness, rather than rewarding. The scandal surrounding the landing on the Neva he clearly remembers. Initially, the deputy chief of the Leningrad Aviation Administration Vladimir Sirotin wanted to send a plane back to Tallinn - black, they say, there. But then, given the characteristics of the Tallinn airport, we decided to land it on the emergency lane dirt out of town on proven technology - "on the belly." Winged fire engines, "first aid". And that landing is not threatened explosion, a ship's captain gave the order to "develop a fuel." The plane was circling over the city until the tanks will not be nearly empty. Mostovoy then had to land.



Then even allowed planes to fly over Leningrad at an altitude of 400 meters (but after this incident defined the boundaries detour outside the city limits), and silver bird without causing much excitement for a long time circling in the sky. Then came the next. "Board" panic reported that fuel produced ... completely and minimum fuel for approach no. This meant that the crew carried away prohlopali fuel consumption and the car now could collapse at home ... Luckily, was at the bottom of the Neva. And "Tu-124" villages Bolsheokhtinsky between Finland and bridges.

Captain of the boat, which sailed along the Neva River, just reflexes, propped one wing of the Tu-124 and began to push the car to the bank. Passengers and crew came down. What is interesting, the General Directorate of the Civil Air Fleet of the USSR once regarded the "feat" Bridged as carelessness. And Tallinn squadron then deducted this pilot. But by a strange logic (were rescued foreigners uproar about the feat), commander awarded. Soon the bridge came to Leningrad to study at the Academy of Civil Aviation. He behaved arrogantly, picked up "twos" and was expelled. None of it was not sorry ...

Situation with rewarding helped us clarify a former employee of the Leningrad Regional Party Committee, who asked not to say his name. "First of all, on the heels we immediately reported to the Central Committee of the heroism of the pilot pavement. Secondly, Tupolev enthusiastically responded to the high buoyancy Soviet jet machines, allowing people to be saved. Third, the newspaper managed to trumpet about the heroism of the crew. Since then, a judge or a reward? Pilot gave the order ».

... And the plane was taken to the pontoons in the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, followed him to lose.

Then the "Tu-124" was "crude" unfinished machine, freshly baked brainchild Tupolev Design Bureau. When you try to sit in Tallinn he lost the ball screw (it then picked up on the runway), and a car with faulty landing gear were sent to Leningrad - sit "on its belly" on the primer in "Pulkovo". In flight, the pilots tried to "knock out" jammed gear and even cut through the bottom of the fuselage. But nothing helped! Flight Director airport "Pulkovo" Georgy Narbut that day gave crews to act on instructions - burn fuel to reserve one ton. But the trouble is that the fuel gauge on board could not objectively indicate how much fuel is left! A landing in violation of instructions with a margin of at least 1,200, 1,300 kilograms of "gorjuchki" threatened with demotion pilots.

"Landed at the airport," - gave the command Narbut. But the mechanic said the captain Victor pavements: "Victor, the tanks have a reserve of my extra ton." "I'm going for another round," - said the commander on the ground. But the flight "at random" almost a catastrophe. One after the other two stalled engine - fuel was not just on the "headquarters of the revolution" - Smolny. "Get in the water!" - Shouted Mostovoy co-pilot, a former gidroletchik.

The commander ordered the crew to go to a salon and "distracting conversations" passengers, and he began to plan in the air as much as possible on the hard drive. Could not be wrong! The crew flew four meters above the bridge under construction Alexander Nevsky (with forests in terror rained workers), saw the outlines of Finland Railway Bridge and cringed in fear: Vrezh! But the car's tail touched the Neva, then flopped belly, slightly ducked and froze ... a few hundred meters from the bridge piers. They say 27-year-old Victor Bridge grayer in these seconds.



But the danger is gone. Proporoty fuselage began taking on water, and the depth of the Neva here - 13 meters. Fortunately, the Neva was buksirchik built in 1898 with a team of four people and quietly pulled the raft rafting. Saw the plane. Someone shouted defiantly: "In the second Chkalov turned up!" But Captain Yuri Porshina appreciated very unfunny situation: he told reset towline and leave the raft. Captain failed to lift the car and shouted to the pilots: "What's your hook?" After some discussion, smashed cockpit hood and hooked the cable at the helm of the pilots. The plane pulled up to the dock at the factory "Northern press," which stood along the shore rafts. Wing of the plane, bent on striking the water, gently laid on rafts, forming a kind of ladder. Passengers - Forty-four people, including two children - began to emerge through the top hatch, holding things. They were calm.

Hundreds of people on the shore, the workers of neighboring factories who ran for communicating, shouting "Hurrah!" Came the crew. He was applauded. Rushed helicopter from Pulkovo some strict boss told the pilots sit together with the flight instruments. Bridge, beautiful and well-built man, behaved calmly pointed out. The helicopter flew away. Of the crew was a young man, steward, guarding the luggage. Then rode the bus "PAZ" and took passengers to the airport, from where they were sent to Tallinn.

Came steamer with flume, began to pump water out of the plane. But it was no use, the water was coming from the holes. And "Tu-124" sank in the morning. The next day brought a plane pontoons and a tug was sent to the territory of present-day "Fairgrounds" Skipper to the canal, where based military unit. After the Commission decided: car written off due to breakdowns. Disconnected from her cabin and sent as a trainer in the Tambov region, in Kirsanovsky flying school. Beautiful soft chairs sold to everyone at the price of a bottle of vodka. Long fuselage lay on the beach, then it was cut for scrap ...

Victor Mostovoy awarded the Order of the Red Star and its crew - medals. According to some reports, Bridge after failing his studies at the Academy of Civil Aviation Squadron moved to Krasnodar. Captain tug Porshina awarded Certificate of Merit and a clock.



igvestia