Tragedy in the Skies: The Story of Aeroflot Flight 593

Introduction

In the early hours of March 23, 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 embarked on its journey from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, destined for Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong. This routine international passenger flight, operated by an Airbus A310-304, was tragically cut short when it crashed into the Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia, claiming the lives of all 63 passengers and 12 crew members on board. What unfolded was a sequence of events that could only be described as catastrophic.

Background and Aircraft Details

The aircraft at the heart of this tragedy was the Airbus A310-304, registered as F-OGQS, affectionately named Glinka. Delivered new to Aeroflot on December 11, 1992, this airframe bore the serial number 596 and was powered by two General Electric CF6-80C2A2 engines. Its maiden flight took place on September 11, 1991, under the registration F-WWCS. The aircraft was part of the fleet operated by Russian International Airlines, a division of Aeroflot responsible for routes to the Russian Far East and Southeast Asia. The crew of three operating the plane had amassed an average of 900 hours on this particular aircraft type.

Passengers and Crew

On board were 75 souls, including 63 passengers. Among them, 40 were Russian nationals, many of whom were airline employees and their families. The remaining 23 passengers were predominantly businessmen from Hong Kong and Taiwan, seeking opportunities in Russia.

The flight was commanded by Captain Andrey Viktorovich Danilov, aged 40, who had joined Aeroflot in November 1992. With over 9,500 flight hours, including 950 hours in the A310, he was an experienced pilot. First Officer Igor Vasilyevich Piskaryov, aged 33, had 5,885 flight hours, with 440 in the A310, since being hired in October 1993. Relief Captain Yaroslav Vladimirovich Kudrinsky, aged 39, also joined in November 1992 and boasted 8,940 flying hours, including 907 in the A310. Kudrinsky had previous experience in the Yakovlev Yak-40, Antonov An-12, and Ilyushin Il-76. Completing the crew were nine flight attendants.

The Fateful Flight

As the clock ticked past midnight on March 23, 1994, Flight 593 soared through the night sky towards Hong Kong. Kudrinsky, taking his children on their first international adventure, invited them into the cockpit, a decision that would prove fatal. Five individuals occupied the flight deck at that moment: Kudrinsky; co-pilot Piskaryov; Kudrinsky's son Eldar, aged 15; his daughter Yana, aged 13; and another pilot, Vladimir Makarov, who was traveling as a passenger.

With the autopilot engaged, Kudrinsky allowed his children to take the controls, unaware of the impending disaster. Yana was first, sitting in the pilot's left front seat at 00:43. Kudrinsky adjusted the autopilot to simulate control, giving his daughter a false sense of piloting the aircraft. At 00:51, it was Eldar's turn to sit at the controls.

Innocently, Eldar unknowingly applied enough force to the control column to cause the autopilot to partially disengage, granting him control of the ailerons while other systems remained automated. A silent indicator light illuminated, unnoticed by the pilots accustomed to audible alerts from their Soviet-designed planes.

Eldar was the first to sense something amiss when the aircraft began banking right. The flight path indicator soon displayed a continuous turn, suggesting a 180° trajectory similar to a holding pattern, which puzzled the pilots. Within nine seconds, the plane banked sharply beyond a 45° angle, descending rapidly as the g-forces mounted.

The autopilot, now unable to control the ailerons, attempted to compensate by pitching the nose up and increasing thrust, leading to a stall. The autopilot disengaged entirely, its display screen going blank. An automatic system initiated a nosedive to recover from the stall, and Kudrinsky managed to regain his seat. Piskaryov, however, over-corrected, sending the plane into a steep ascent, stalling once more and entering into a spin.

In a desperate bid to save the aircraft, Kudrinsky and Piskaryov managed to level the wings, but their altitude had dropped perilously low. At 00:58, the A310 crashed in a flat attitude at a high vertical speed of approximately 70 m/s (140 knots; 160 mph; 250 km/h), killing all 75 occupants. The entire ordeal, from the moment Kudrinsky's children entered the cockpit to the crash, spanned just sixteen minutes.

Aftermath and Investigation

The wreckage lay scattered on a remote hillside within the Kuznetsk Alatau mountain chain, about 20 kilometers east of Mezhdurechensk, Kemerovo Oblast. The flight data recorders were recovered on the second day of searching. Families of the Russian victims paid their respects by placing flowers on the crash site, while Chinese and Taiwanese families scattered messages written on paper.

Initially, Aeroflot denied the presence of children in the cockpit, but the truth emerged when the Moscow-based magazine Obozrevatel published a transcript of the cockpit voice recording in September 1994. The Associated Press reported, "the Russian crew almost succeeded in saving the plane," while The New York Times highlighted the crew's unfamiliarity with the foreign-made aircraft and the distraction caused by the children.

Cultural Impact

The tragic tale of Flight 593 found its way into popular culture, featuring in the season-three episode "Kid in the Cockpit" of the Canadian TV series Mayday. It also appeared in a Mayday season six special titled "Who's Flying the Plane?" Michael Crichton's novel "Airframe," published in 1996, drew inspiration from the incidents of Aeroflot Flight 593 and China Eastern Airlines Flight 583.

Conclusion

The story of Aeroflot Flight 593 serves as a haunting reminder of the catastrophic consequences that can arise from seemingly innocent actions. It underscores the critical importance of adhering to aviation regulations and the potential dangers of complacency in the cockpit. As we remember the 75 lives lost on that fateful night, we are reminded of the profound responsibility that comes with the privilege of flight.

Sources

For more detailed information, visit the Wikipedia article on Aeroflot Flight 593.