ADVERTISEMENT
In the peaceful skies of Russia, a seemingly ordinary flight turns into one of the worst tragedies in modern aviation history. No one on board could have imagined that a few minutes of carelessness in the cockpit would plunge 75 people to a tragic end. But what really happened aboard this now infamous flight?
Flight 593: A Journey to the Irreparable
On March 23, 1994, an Aeroflot Airbus A310 took off from Moscow for Hong Kong. On board were 75 passengers, an experienced crew, and among them was Captain Yaroslav Kudrinsky, accompanied by his two children, Yana (13) and Eldar (15). It was to be their first international trip, a family adventure in the clouds.
At this time, post-Soviet Russia was modernizing, and it was not uncommon for family members of pilots to be allowed to visit the cockpit. But this practice, although forbidden , would prove fatal.
A cockpit turned into a games room
Halfway through the flight, with the plane on autopilot, the captain invites his children to sit in his seat. He plans to offer them an unforgettable moment, a magical interlude above the clouds.
Yana settles in first. She enjoys playing with the joystick, her father encouraging her and showing her the city lights. Nothing seems alarming.
Then it's Eldar's turn. Excited, he twists the stick as if to simulate a turn. Except he unknowingly disables a critical function of the autopilot.
A small warning light comes on. But neither the father nor the co-pilot realize that the plane has just switched to manual mode. This detail, which went unnoticed, will change the fate of all the passengers.
continued on the next page
ADVERTISEMENT
