Russian carrier Ural Airlines expects all sections of the Airbus A320 which force-landed in a field will be removed by February, nearly one-and-a-half years since the occurrence.
The twinjet ran low on fuel as it attempted to reach Novosibirsk in September 2023, having diverted from its original destination Omsk following a hydraulic failure.
Russian investigators determined that the aircraft burned its fuel reserves because its landing-gear remained extended during the diversion.
All the passengers and crew members survived, but the aircraft was left stranded in the field – about 180km outside Novosibirsk – and the carrier, having decided that flying it out was impractical, opted to take it apart.
”The engines with all the attachments, cowls and reversers have already been dismantled,” says Ural Airlines.
The jet involved, RA-73805, was powered by CFM International CFM56 engines and originally delivered to Air Arabia over 20 years ago.
“All the electronics have been removed – computers sensors, antennas – and the landing-gear was dismantled last,” the carrier states.
Interior cabin and cockpit fittings were taken out last October. All the components are being sent to Ekaterinburg where they will be inspected for potential re-use.
The carrier says the A320’s primary aerostructures, including the fuselage, wings and empennage, are “ready for disposal”.
Ural adds that it plans to “remove completely” all the aircraft’s components from the field no later than February this year.
