The Russian captain who saved 161 passengers is being sued for 127.1 million rubles in damages
Sergei Belov, the pilot of a Ural Airlines Airbus A320, has been charged again with violating traffic operation and safety regulations. On September 12, 2023, the aircraft suffered a hydraulic system failure and made a successful emergency landing in a field near Novosibirsk. All 161 passengers and six crew members aboard survived.
The assessed damage has now increased from 118.9 million rubles to 127.1 million rubles, based on a new expert report indicating a greater number of damaged components. No injuries were reported among the passengers or crew.
The flight, operated by Ural Airlines, was en route from Sochi to Omsk. After the hydraulic failure, the crew had intended to divert to Novosibirsk but found insufficient fuel reserves. Prosecutorial authorities argue that the pilots misjudged remaining fuel levels, failed to account for wind gusts, and overlooked the additional fuel consumption associated with extending the landing gear—placing passengers at undue risk.
Belov was first charged in July 2025; the case was transferred to the Central District Court of Omsk in September of the same year. In January 2026, his defense team successfully returned the case to the prosecution, citing procedural deficiencies. Subsequently, supplementary expert assessment was commissioned, leading to an upward revision of the damage estimate.
This raises a key question: if the airline itself has stated it will not pursue financial claims against the pilot, then who is responsible for this 127.1 million ruble compensation, and what exactly is being compensated?
Belov notes that even within the criminal proceedings, the airline continues to be listed as a victim seeking compensation. He explains that the portion of the claim excluding VAT—amounting to over 49 million rubles—covers costs such as aircraft security, snow removal, farmland leasing, and fencing installation. Meanwhile, Ural Airlines has already received more than 1.3 billion rubles in insurance payouts.
Belov also contests the validity of the damage assessment: critical components were neither recovered nor admitted as physical evidence, and their market value was not determined through legally compliant appraisal procedures. The updated evaluation was conducted by a private firm relying solely on documentation provided by Ural Airlines.
He further alleges that investigators are attempting to remove passengers from the list of victims, in an effort to streamline the trial process.
Following the incident, Belov was grounded and later left the airline. He now resides in Sochi, where he cares for his disabled mother. Although he has received job offers from Asia, he expressed a desire to remain in Russia for both personal and professional life.
Passengers from the original flight previously submitted a joint appeal to President Putin in support of Belov.
In February of this year, reports surfaced that the co-pilot of the same flight, Edward Semenov, now works as a taxi driver to make ends meet.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1880534354231360/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author