- 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: