Both engines on a Ural Airlines Airbus A321 failed before the aircraft conducted a forced landing in a field outside Moscow.
The Russian carrier says the aircraft lost power in both engines following a severe bird-strike as it departed Moscow Zhukovsky for Simferopol early on 15 August. It came to rest in a field about 5km from the far end of Zhukovsky's runway 12.
Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee has confirmed the airframe as VQ-BOZ, a CFM International CFM56-powered aircraft.
"Several people sought medical attention," it says, but states that there were no fatalities. A formal commission is being convened to probe the accident.
Ural Airlines is crediting the "professionalism" and "co-ordinated actions" of the crew in safely bringing down and evacuating the aircraft.
It says the captain, who has been with the operator since about 2013, had logged more than 3,000h while the first officer, employed by the carrier only last year, had some 600h.
The aircraft has suffered "significant" damage, it adds.
Five cabin crew were on board, the airline indicates. It puts the total number of passengers on board at 224.
"Passengers were evacuated and are currently in the airport terminal," says the carrier. "[They] are being provided with all the necessary services in accordance with the federal aviation rules for the duration of the flight delay."
Federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia says the aircraft struck a flock of gulls, and that the aircraft came down between inner and outer marker beacons for the airport's landing system.
"The landing was carried out with the undercarriage retracted," it adds. "Before the landing, the crew shut down the engines."
Slides were deployed from all eight exits of the A321.
The accident is reminiscent of the high-profile emergency landing by a US Airways Airbus A320 on New York's Hudson river a decade ago, after a bird-strike caused both engines to fail.
It had been climbing out of New York's LaGuardia airport when the strike occurred on 15 January 2009, forcing the crew to ditch the jet. All those on board survived.
Ural Airlines is an all-Airbus single-aisle operator, and recently took delivery of its first A320neo.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
