Close call for Nordwind Airlines after cabin decompression incident

The cabin decompression in a Russian aircraft and a sudden pressure drop almost led to a catastrophe. The Nordwind Airlines plane, en route to Orenburg, was forced to return to the Moscow airport.

Shortly after departing from Sheremetyevo Airport, the Nordwind Airlines Airbus A321 passenger plane issued a distress signal, reported Artem Korenyako of the Federal Aviation Transport Agency via Telegram.

The passenger plane left the ground on May 6 at 5:27 AM Eastern Time, heading toward its destination. However, a severe malfunction was detected nearly 40 minutes into the flight. The pilot's cabin experienced decompression, causing a sharp pressure drop. The crew initiated emergency procedures in response.

The pilot had to decrease the plane's altitude from approximately 10,000 meters to 3,000 meters, which led to passenger oxygen masks being deployed, and the plane temporarily vanished from radar screens. This incident caused significant alarm among flight controllers.

The "Kyiv Post" has reported on the declining state of Russian commercial airlines due to Western sanctions for some time. In February, the "Wall Street Journal" featured an analysis by the German research firm Jacdec, indicating that Russian airlines experienced 74 in-flight malfunctions in 2023, over twice the number reported the previous year. Additionally, the Russian Federal Aviation Transport Agency discovered more than 400 pre-flight equipment defects, including issues with engines, landing gear, flaps, software, and hydraulic systems.

According to the Moscow Times, 10 serious malfunctions were noted in January of this year, and 6 engine defects were identified in the first quarter of 2024.

"Despite avoiding significant damage or disasters so far, experts argue that the increasing number and severity of technical problems pose a grave threat to the safety of passengers and aircraft crew," the "Kyiv Post" reports.