A Russian passenger jet flew into a flock of birds then crash-landed in a cornfield just outside a Moscow airport, according to Russia’s Air Agency.
Shortly after takeoff, the plane “collided with a flock of gulls,” according a statement from the agency. Some of the birds were sucked into its engines.The emergency landing took place in a field less than a kilometer away from the runway. Videos posted to social media show the passengers of flight U6178 evacuating from the plane and making a path through the field.
Up to 55 passengers, including 17 children, have been given medical attention, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing a source in the regional Center for Disaster Medicine. Six have been hospitalized.In a statement, Ural Airlines said that the plane had been significantly damaged and would not be in service in the future, TASS reported.
