The old Tu-154 belonging to Alrosa Airlines managed to take off from the closed-down 1,340 meter short runway where it made a miraculous emergency landing last fall. Normally, the three-engine aircraft needs 2,200 meter airfields for takeoff.
The aircraft lost its electrical supply on its way from Siberia to Moscow on September 7th and the pilots spotted the closed airfield in Izhma, north of Ukhta in the Komi Republic and “miraculous” managed to land the aircraft.
Read also: Lucky Tu-154 crash landing in Komi
All of the 72 passengers and eight crew members onboard could safely slid down the emergency chutes as the aircraft finally stopped in the forest far out of the runway.
Click on image for link to You Tube video.
After repairs during the winter, it was decided to make an attempt to take off again on Friday.
Two distinguished test pilots and a flight engineer were the only crew-members on board during takeoff, and in order to reduce the weight as much as possible, the aircraft had limited amount of fuel, just enough to fly to the larger nearby airport in Ukhta for refuelling.
The aircraft overrun the airfield last fall and ended 180 meters into the taiga-forest.
