- The recent hailstorm in Turkey damaged a plane's nose and windscreen
- The plane's hero pilot landed it safely despite poor visibility, saving the lives of 127 passengers
- He has been awarded for his heroic act
A hero pilot has saved the lives of 127 passengers by safely landing his hail-damaged plane in conditions of near-blindness.
A severe hailstorm cracked Captain Alexander Akopov's plane's windscreen and nose, disabling the autopilot and leaving him and his co-pilot unable to see through the windscreen.
Captain Akopov was thus forced to make an emergency landing in treacherous conditions at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport on Thursday, July 27.
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Captain Akopov made the incredible landing. Photo: TSN/east2west news
For his brave and successful landing of the Airbus A320, he has been awarded the Ukrainian "Order For Courage."
Footage of the hair-raising incident has surfaced online. It first shows the plane speeding towards the ground and then the situation inside the plane.
The damaged windscreen reduced visibility to almost zero. Source: East2west
Passengers are heard crying and praying for a safe landing. In an interview, Captain Akopov said he and his crew celebrated afterwards as if they had been born again.
I have been flying for 30 years. "Well, did you see the plane landing? Was it okay? The passengers are alive. It is normal. This is our professional reliability."
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The hailstorm damaged the nose of the plane too. Source: East2west news
Watch the incredible video below:
Watch NAIJ.com video below: