Aeroflot Captain Charged with Rule Violations in Shoddy Landing Performance

The Russian Captain in command of a 2019 Moscow to Murmansk Aeroflot flight was sentenced to 6 years in prison for his actions, with courts finding him guilty of negligence.

The 2019 flight was struck by lightning not long after takeoff, when Denis Evdokimov immediately began a return to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. While no apparent injuries were noted following the strike, it was Evdokimov's performance in landing that appears to have sunk his chances in court. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 suffered under his landing technique, making hard contact with the runway, rebounding, and catching aflame as it careened out of control. 

Out of the jet's 78 passengers, 41 perished in the inferno. Evdokimov was charged with negligence in short order, when authorities accused him of a failure to follow procedure throughout the event. Initial reports appeared to point to his defense resting upon the idea of a malfunction that precluded a safer landing, but authorities found nothing to blame but the captain himself.

"After the decision was made to return to the airport of departure, Evdokimov made, without observing the procedure for operating the aircraft, a very rough landing, allowing the aircraft to ‘bounce’", said the state prosecutor.

"As a result, the main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft structure was destroyed with a spill and ignition of the fuel."

Evdokimov will serve 6 years for the incident, with a ban from aircraft operation for another 3. Whether that sentence may be served concurrently remains unknown in western circles.

FMI: www.youtube.com, https://www.aeroflot.ru/us-en