Aeroflot Flight 521

Aeroflot

Industry	Airline
Headquarters	Moscow , Russia
Products	Passenger air transport

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Aeroflot Flight 521 was a regular passenger service flying from Sheremetyevo International Airport to Dubai International Airport. On September 21, 2001, it performed a belly landing at Dubai after the flight crew neglected to engage the landing gear circuit breaker. Fortunately, all 322 individuals aboard survived without injury.

Aircraft

The airplane involved was an Ilyushin Il-86 bearing registration RA-86074 and serial number 51483205041. It had its maiden flight and entered operational service in 1985. By the time of the incident, the aircraft had accumulated a total of 23,711 flight hours and undergone 7,132 pressurization cycles.

The flight deck was staffed by four pilots alongside eleven cabin crew members:

• Captain V. I. Ivochkin, who had amassed 16,501 flight hours, including 6,080 hours on the Il-86 model
• First Officer S. K. Sevastiyanov, with a total of 8,920 flight hours and 1,126 hours specifically on the Il-86
• Flight Engineer E. A. Malinin
• Navigator S. N. Afanasyev

Accident

The journey departing from Moscow proceeded without incident. While preparing to land at Dubai, the crew deactivated the landing gear circuit breaker prior to extending the flaps—a non-standard procedure intended to minimize noise levels. Following this, Flight Engineer Malinin extended the landing gear; however, they failed to reactivate the circuit breaker beforehand. Malinin breached protocol and did not detect that the landing gear remained retracted.

At approximately 20:09 local time, Flight 521 touched down on Runway 30R with its landing gear still raised. The aircraft skidded along the runway for several dozen meters before coming to rest. Subsequently, engines two and three along with the aft cargo hold ignited. Emergency responders at Dubai International Airport rapidly extinguished the flames, enabling a safe evacuation of all 322 passengers and crew members.

Investigation

The inquiry involved the Interstate Aviation Committee, Federal Air Transport Agency, Ilyushin, and Aeroflot. The findings revealed that the flight crew executed an improper approach setup and breached multiple regulations. Additionally, inadequate teamwork and ineffective crew resource management were identified as factors that led to the incident.

Aftermath

Aeroflot was required to compensate each affected passenger with a sum of 400 US dollars. Furthermore, the airline paid Dubai International Airport 10 million dollars in damages because the Il-86 blocked Runway 30R, causing a 13-hour suspension of airport operations. The pilots were stripped of their licenses, and the captain faced termination.

The aircraft was declared a total loss, dismantled for spare parts, scrapped by 2003, and eventually sank in the Persian Gulf.