The Russian Interstate Aviation Committee has recommended all Tupolev Tu-204 operators carry out safety checks on their aircraft following an incident on 2 April in which an aircraft, operated by Kavminvodyavia, momentarily went out of control in turbulence, according to a report in the Russian daily Izvestia.
The aircraft, flight 3062 from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt to Moscow, was 14min into its flight and had reached 28,000ft (8,500m) altitude when it flew into turbulence. At the encounter, the aircraft pitched violently downwards, causing injury to several passengers. The crew needed a few seconds to regain control of the aircraft, which went on to land normally 4h later at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport.
"Following a meeting with the aircraft's designers, our representatives issued a recommendation to carry out safety checks on all the Tu-204 fleet," says Oleg Yermolov, of the Interstate Aviation Committee. The flightcrew's actions are under investigation.
A meeting was held on 12 April attended by representatives of all Tu-204 operators to decide whether to carry out further safety measures, or whether turbulence alone is to blame. "The commission is at work, and it will come to a conclusion which we will definitely publish," says deputy director of the state flight safety inspectorate Sergei Masterov.
Source: Flight International
