Doctors explained why plane passengers are dying. If an airplane passenger becomes ill, who will help in a critical situation? Stool becomes problematic

Eyewitnesses of the An-148 crash claim that the plane was burning in the air. The debris is scattered over a large area, indicating an explosion on board the aircraft. Experts understand the causes of the tragedy. Was this a terrorist attack?...

On West have unraveled the cause of the An-148 crash, but a terrorist attack cannot be ruled out

Commission of the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) on data from the decoding of the flight recorders has already called a preliminary the cause of the An‑148 plane crash V Moscow region. By according to experts, it there could be incorrect information about flight speed at pilot indicators that, in in turn, apparently, was associated with icing of PPD when their systems are turned off heating But So far these are only preliminary results. The investigation will continue. Even the United States expressed a desire to provide assistance to Russia in investigation of the An-148 plane crash in Moscow region. About the president stated this Donald Trump V telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin , reportsAssociated Presswith link to White House press office.

Let us remind you that in time of previous telephone conversation - V December 2017 the Russian President thanked his American counterpart for information that helped prevent a terrorist attack in Petersburg.

IN this connection is interesting opinion one of pilots of Saratov Airlines, who flew on Moscow route — Orsk, in including together with pilot of the deceased An-148 Valery Gubanov . It is published by Radio Liberty, without indicating the source’s first and last name.

« This is a terrorist attack , By in my opinion. AND is not just my version, but And many pilots of our airline, with which I talked. Neither from piloting errors or from untreated liquid aircraft wouldn't collapsed in air, and its wreckage is not scattered would be in within a radius of one kilometer" - the pilot thinks.

By according to him, if the plane would fall apart hitting about the ground, then bodies and wreckage the liners were lying would be nearby compact . "IN In such cases, many dead are found in their armchairs. A here by everyone is being collected in parts... This means that on there was a powerful explosion on board, otherwise would like them so no blown apart" - he added.

Indeed, according to as of 8 a.m. 13 February in the area where the An-148 crashed was discovered about 1.5 thousand fragments of the bodies of the dead (in the plane had 65 passengers and 6 crew members) and 500 aircraft fragments. To do this, it was necessary to survey the area in 30 hectares.

Both black boxes were found and sent to laboratory. However, the Investigative Committee waiting for their results transcripts, announced that violations of the integrity of the airliner in not in the air it was, but explosion and the fire occurred in the moment the plane collided with earth.

It is known that in period from 2010 to 2015 produced in Voronezh An-148 (tail numberR.A.-61704) was operated by the state airline Rossiya. Behind this time happened at least two serious incident related to operation of engines. IN In 2016, Rossiya transferred the problematic aircraft to subleasing to Saratov Airlines.

IN November 2017 at During the inspection of the company by Rostransnadzor, violations in service deceased An-148. "Oil change intervals and washing the filter in According to the maintenance program must be 375 flight hours. On on this board these works were carried out with frequency 750 hours", — reported source "MK" in department.

The Western press has already named small regional Russian companies are the scourge of the Russian civil aviation". By in the words of a woman working in Russian Swedish journalist Anna-Lena Lauren , she always feels insecure when she has to fly on Russian airlines specializing in domestic flights and If possible, choose Aeroflot.

On aviation forums compare the latest disaster to An-148 crash in Belgorod region in 2011. Then 6 people died - everyone who was on board.

Chairman of the Commission on Civil Aviation of the Public Council of Rostransnadzor, Honored Pilot USSR Oleg Smirnov Not sees clear evidence in favor one of versions of the crash.

— As a professional I I always rely on data. The peculiarity of this An-148 crash that the plane is not lost speed. That yes, he Not fell chaotically, and even before landing had a decent speed. By according to Flytradar, this is about 600 kilometers in hour. WITH at this speed Fighters fly at such a low altitude. Why did this happen and the commission created by instructions from the President.

By the way, it’s very good that the first place where the plane crashed were two federal ministers: transport and Ministry of Emergency Situations. After all, huge resources were immediately needed there. AND ministers dealt with this task. They set up a town and provided it with equipment and so on. This is partly why we were able to quickly find both recorders. Everything is recorded there: the operation of engines, rudders, other mechanisms, speed deviation etc.

Now the main task - decipher them And establish the cause of the accident in order to prevent this type of disaster from happening in the future. Bye same me I don't see either one objective reason for this. The weather was magnificent, the plane was new, the crew was prepared...

"SP": - Not is Whether the small size of regional carriers is a systemic cause of such disasters may not be paying due attention to safety? Once upon a time it was the Saratov air squadron - part of the giant Aeroflot...

— Aeroflot does not The flights operated by Saratov Airlines are interesting. Regional carriers perform a very important social function, as they transport passengers to short distances. For example, they fly from Blagoveshchensk in Khabarovsk, from Khabarovsk in Irkutsk and so on. There is an urgent need for such technology - before 100 passenger seats, which it does not have Aeroflot. On Our Yak-42 and An-148. This allows us to give way to domestic aircraft manufacturing.

By opinion editor-in-chief of the portal Avia . ru Roman Gusarova , talk about terrorist attack is still premature.

— IN Petersburg, the Americans warned us about impending terrorist attack. How can they help us? in this case, I not even I present. The airport is domestic, the plane is ours, yes And our specialists explosives definitely not worse than the Americans.

"SP": - It all depends on version, to which the investigation is leaning towards...

— Various types of information about there is a lot of disaster now, but she doesn't folds into some kind of harmonious overall picture. So far there are three versions: fire engine, not doused the plane with de-icer and terrorist attack But neither yet one fact that shaped would be a priority version.

If if the plane were covered with ice, it fell immediately after airfield. If would have the plane's engine failed, it Not fell would be a stone's throw down - the plane flies beautifully and With one engine. He could easily make a circle and sit down. Even with two failed engines continued would like to plan and Not fly stone down . Is not potato, this is a plane, y he has wings.

That same the most terrorist attack. As you know, the plane performed certain “maneuvers” before falling. First it took off, then it began to descend, then it rose again. Perhaps there are some technical problems here. Moreover, the crash site is localized. The plane is not exploded in air. Flash from the explosion has already been seen earth.

"SP": - AND All well...

— WITH like this I'm so successful I can come up with a few more versions... For example, to say that in The plane's engine was hit by a bird. Could this happen? Yes. It happens. But there is no evidence of this. Just like no evidence of other versions. I think even those who are now in field, on place of fall, not will be able to say in what's the matter. We'll have to wait for the flight recorders to be deciphered.

"SP": — Western mass media write that Russian regional carriers are less safe compared to large companies. If so, maybe they are not for us very much needed?

— IN There are only about a hundred airlines in Russia. From the first 15 of them are large, and all the rest are small. For such a huge territory this is not much. A V those the USA has a thousand airlines and none complains. There is a direct relationship between the size of the airline and her financial condition and responsibility for no security issues. The rules are written the same for everyone, they check everyone the same.

Moreover, on example of Transaero and "VIM-Avia" we we see that large companies may not have fewer problems than minor ones. Where is the guarantee that they provided security on at the proper level? This can only be guaranteed by a regulator that controls and checks and large, and small, and medium-sized companies. TO that the same number of carriers regulates the market. Once every There are hundreds of companies in the country, which means they are needed.

In general, it is difficult to imagine that such Western companies as Lufthansa or British Airways or Air France would operate local flights on "corn farmers". For this purpose there are other companies. Exactly the same for us Aeroflot and others are engaged in long-haul transportation, and small companies fly between regions. It’s impossible without them.

— Such regional companies in There is a lot of Russia, - speaks journalist Oleg Lurie . — Moreover, They have rather strange owners. TO those is related to Saratov Airlines Sergey Evstafiev , friend and partner Anatoly Chubais . There was such a story with “a box from a photocopier.” Then Evstafiev and Sergey Lisovsky took out half a million dollars of "black cash" from White House. There is evidence that in Evstafiev owns 55 percent of Saratov Airlines. But connect this circumstance with not a disaster has to. Among the regional companies there are quite successful.

IN turn aviation dispatcher Sergei Polozov leans towards that the cause of the disaster could have been human error.

— The possibility of a terrorist attack cannot be ruled out, but I V I'm not sure about that. Rather, there is a chain of events of a technical nature. AND human factor may be present. Because if you look at the world statistics of recent disasters, then It is clear that the human factor is increasingly present there. Previously there was less of this.

"SP": — Why is that?

— Development aviation industry Not stands on place. New types of aircraft are emerging with reliable air navigation equipment systems. But since the flight recorders have already been found, then Soon the exact cause of the disaster will become known.

"SP": - But V Russia By statistics disasters happen more often...

— Disasters happen everywhere. Equipment failures and piloting errors occur everywhere. Somewhere a little more, somewhere a little less. Russia is not fundamentally here is different. But security in any airline costs first place. On this is “sharpened” all standards. Then comes economy, regularity and other. By the way, air transport, by statistics, is the safest transport in around the world compared to railway and by motor transport.

Sergey Aksenov

Flying has long become a habit. Many people perceive it as an opportunity to sleep or watch a movie without thinking about the fact that there are thousands of meters of emptiness under their feet. However, having learned about the situations that can periodically arise on board an airplane, even the most resistant to aerophobia will fall into panic. It is for this reason that the plane personnel do not tell us anything until the last minute.

1. The pilot lost consciousness

This situation is quite rare, but anything can happen. One pilot with ten years of experience once admitted that while flying across the Atlantic Ocean they found themselves in a zone of severe turbulence. By an unfortunate coincidence, at the moment when his partner was trying to sit down in his seat, the plane shook violently, and he hit him with his elbow. The pilot lost consciousness for some time, but due to the fact that there were two people in the cockpit, the plane calmly continued its flight. Naturally, only the liner’s service personnel knew about what had happened at that moment, and the passengers were blissfully unaware.

2. Danger of collision with another airliner

We, as passengers on an airplane, are firmly convinced that aircraft collisions in the air are impossible, thanks to the flight control center. But in fact, this danger occurs much more often than we think. One of the pilots, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that many times in his practice the planes came very close to each other. And twice he had to make a dangerous sharp maneuver to avoid a collision. At this time, passengers thought they were in a zone of severe turbulence. However, according to the pilot, there are always several people in the cabin who suspect something is wrong and begin to ask the flight attendants what is happening.

3. Cabin in smoke

At this terrible moment, airplane pilots wear special oxygen masks so as not to lose consciousness from poisoning and almost always require permission for an emergency landing. Meanwhile, in the cabin of the plane, no one has any idea about the dangerous situation on board. One of the pilots of one British airline said that during this incident they also began to run out of fuel, and the instrument panel was not visible due to the smoke. Fortunately, everything worked out, but along the route, just in case, they requested an emergency landing, which was not needed.

4. Breakdowns

An airplane is a huge, complex mechanism. And it’s completely normal when something breaks in the mechanism. It is clear that breakdowns come in different forms. But in any case, passengers are not informed about this in order to avoid panic on board. One of the anonymous pilots said that once during a flight just before landing, part of the aileron on the wing came off. It was an absolutely harmless breakdown, but the passengers were alarmed. After all, out of ignorance, you can think anything, and a dangling piece of iron on the wing can be very scary.

5. Lightning

Everyone knows that modern aircraft are resistant to lightning strikes, and therefore there is no need to be afraid. In addition, it seems that the likelihood of lightning striking an airplane is extremely low, but this is not the case. Every aircraft encounters this situation at least once a year. Despite the safety during the flight, passengers are often very scared, and the plane is left with visible marks from a lightning strike. In addition, there are often situations when, flying through a cloud, the plane itself provokes the appearance of lightning, although without it it would not have been possible. What is much more dangerous is not the lightning itself, but the bright flash from it, which can blind pilots for a long time, which turns into a serious obstacle to safe flight. After all, pilots who have temporarily lost their vision may not be able to replace the vortex or vertical air flow, which poses a real danger.

6. Side wind during landing

A strong crosswind can become a real obstacle when landing a plane. And, although pilots are trained to land a plane under such conditions, this does not guarantee a good outcome. At this moment, it’s scary not only for passengers who feel all the rocking and turning of the plane during resistance, but also for pilots, for whom it is important to keep the plane stable. Pilots say that if the danger is too great, they will not land the plane in such conditions.

7. Birds

The photo looks very beautiful when the plane is shrouded in a flock of birds. But in reality this situation is extremely dangerous. The plane flies at such enormous speed that even a small pebble will smash the windshield and half the skull of the pilot, not to mention a bird. Most often, there is a risk of collision when an aircraft lands and takes off at an altitude of up to 100 meters, especially if during this period the birds migrate and move in large flocks. However, accidents involving birds that threaten the lives of passengers are very rare.

Pilot bloggers tell passengers what it's really worth and what they shouldn't be afraid of while flying. The holiday season is in full swing. Many would be happy to rush somewhere to the sea, but the fear of flying overpowers the desire to bask in the southern sun. The story of the crash of an airliner with the President of Poland on board near Smolensk further strengthened this fear: if aircraft No. 1 falls, then there is no point in hoping for the reliability of a simple civilian aircraft. But aviators have a different opinion: an airplane is the safest transport. Pilot-bloggers, tired of drunken hysterics on board, decided to fight the aerophobia of passengers by telling why air pockets are not scary, and that the airliner should “knock, rattle and flash” during flight. The idea came to the mind of a former military pilot, and now a captain of a civil aviation aircraft, Alexey KOCHEMASOV, known on the Internet under the nickname “pilot-lekha”. Colleagues from other airlines also supported him. Turbulence is normal What frightens passengers the most is when the plane encounters turbulence. In pilot's parlance, this is "bumpiness". The plane begins to shake, and sometimes it even “jumps” up and down and anxiously “flapping its wings.” - Chatter can occur both in clouds and outside of them. It will be clear-sky turbulence,” says Alexey Kochemasov. - Clouds are to an airplane what bumps in the road are to a car. If there is no wind, the temperature is evenly distributed across the heights, humidity and pressure are uniform. The flight is calm and serene. And if there are clouds and wind, there is a difference in the temperature of the ascending and descending currents, then, most likely, there will be shaking during the flight. There is always shaking over mountains and big water, but not necessarily much. But airplanes are designed with turbulence in mind. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid that the plane will fall apart if it gets into an air pocket. Nothing will fall off or come off. Is bumpiness dangerous for an airplane? Could it collapse?“The bumpiness is unpleasant for many, but it is not dangerous,” the pilot reassures. - However, flying in areas of severe turbulence is not recommended. Pilots try to avoid getting into turbulence, and if they do, they try to jump out of these areas as quickly as possible. Entering a turbulence zone is not unexpected. Pilots are ready for it and know the detour or exit routes. What's really dangerous? Pilots include dangerous weather phenomena: thunderstorms, icing, wind shear and its microbursts (also called microexplosions), squall, dust or sand storm, ash clouds from volcanoes (can rise to a height of up to 14 kilometers), tornadoes, heavy rainfall, ultra-high and ultra-low temperatures. If any of the above is outside the window, then the weather is considered unflyable. If the crew encounters such a weather phenomenon on a flight, they act according to the instructions. Thunderstorms There are different: frontal(warm air displaces cold air) orographic(air rises along the mountain slopes), intra-mass(with uneven heating of the surface layer of air), dry(no precipitation).

Half of all thunderstorms last no more than an hour. Flights in the zone of thunderclouds are dangerous: there are powerful ascending and descending air currents of up to 20 - 30 m/sec, more intense icing, lightning strikes, hail, heavy rainfall, and poor visibility. “We know about thunderstorms and try not to get into them,” assures Alexey Kochemasov. - The plane has a locator that can clearly see thunderstorms. Depending on the density of the clouds on its screen, the thunderstorm object is displayed in different colors. Light clouds are barely green, thicker clouds are bright green, thunderclouds are bright red, clouds containing ice are purple-red. Wind shear and strong buffeting - dark cherry. Depending on the color on the locator, the crew decides whether they are following a given route or choosing a new one.

Icing It is very dangerous. The external and frontal surfaces of the aircraft are covered with ice. The liner becomes like a shrimp from the supermarket. Icing occurs when flying in an atmosphere containing supercooled water droplets. When icing occurs, the laws of aerodynamics stop working: the plane becomes heavier at lightning speed, the load-bearing properties of the wing deteriorate, and the airliner becomes uncontrollable. Sometimes the engine can also freeze up. Aviation knows how to combat this phenomenon. The most severe icing occurs near the ground or even on the concrete itself. If there is a danger of “freezing” while still at the airport (snow, rain at sub-zero temperatures, frost, ice), the plane must be treated with anti-icing liquid before departure. They douse everything: wings, tail, stabilizer. - If I was doused with a liquid that is effective for half an hour, and I taxied around the airfield and stood in front of the runway longer, then I will not fly. I'll come back and get wet again! - our consultant assures. - And let the passengers swear at the airline and “honor the mother” of the commander. Life is more valuable! In the air, icing is less likely, but if it occurs, it is more intense. The crew is already working here: they are launching an anti-icing system that sprays hot air over the frozen parts. Once upon a time they fought this problem by pouring pure alcohol on the body. They lifted up to 200 liters of this invaluable liquid on board and sprayed it on the glass, like on a car: there was a tank and a special lever in front of the windshield. If the anti-icing system fails, the pilots leave the dangerous cloud zone. - We turn around and run away so that our heels sparkle! - Kochemasov admits. LIKBEZ The flight goes well if: When steering, you feel vibration and squeaking of the wheels. This is when the flaps-slats are released, the hydraulic system and brakes are checked. The flaps move to increase lift. After takeoff they are removed back. They are released again before landing. When the engines started, the lights and air conditioners suddenly turned off and then came back on. This power supplies switched from the external generator to the onboard generator. After takeoff, there is something knocking and creaking under the floor - this is the landing gear being retracted. After takeoff and before descent, the engine is quieter. This is a decrease in engine thrust - as it should be. During a bump, the wing flaps. Everything is fine - the wings of the airliner are flexible and designed to withstand turbulence. Something is blinking in the porthole. This is done by flashing lights mounted on the wings. Often their light reflects off clouds, creating the illusion of lightning. After landing, a “blowing” sound is heard - this is the reversal of engine thrust using a stream of air, which slows down the flight of the aircraft. Upon landing, the plane brakes sharply and vibrates. The shorter the strip, the sharper the stop. In the rain, the plane “slaps” on the concrete - a hard landing provides better grip on the asphalt. Vibration triggers the anti-skid device, which prevents slipping. AND AT THIS TIME A scandal erupts: Australian flight attendants saw posters of naked girls in the cabin on the Internet and were offended. Flight attendants from the Green Continent believe that such a photo causes a surge in violence against female air transport workers, because some passengers begin to perceive them as a sexual object. The authorship of the photo is attributed to one of the Russian airlines, but its management categorically refuses to acknowledge this fact. Who actually made and posted the scandalous nudes on the Internet is still unknown. BY THE WAY During takeoff, the crew reads a “prayer” Before departure, pilots activate all systems necessary for a safe flight. And after each action performed, they read the Checklist. This document is a kind of “bible” for the crew or, as the pilots themselves call it, a “prayer.” As a result, its readings check whether everything has been done correctly, so that if something happens, problems can be corrected in time. To be continued in the next issue of the weekly.

The tragic incident with Artem Chechikov showed that both passengers and flight services are not always ready for such a critical situation. “Mercy.RU” talks about who and how can and is obliged to help an airplane passenger.

/http://fedpress.ru/

According to internal regulations

The British Medical Association has long called for attention to be paid to the health of air passengers: association experts noted that no one is concerned about the safety of air transport passengers in terms of their condition. And in the USA it was calculated that every year in America the heart stops in more than 350 thousand citizens, and in most cases this happens on board an airplane.

The tragedy that happened at Sheremetyevo, when Chelyabinsk student Artem Chechikov died of a sudden heart attack, became an extraordinary event for the capital’s airport. According to the chief physician of Sheremetyevo, Artur Bunin, passengers with heart attacks are constantly removed from planes. In 2012, there were 283 such cases, in 2013 – already 395. Moreover, in general, in 2012 the airport provided medical assistance to passengers in 533 cases, and in 2013 – 621 times. But there had been no deaths before, as happened with Artem Chechikov.

At the same time, according to Andrey Nikulin, Deputy General Director of Sheremetyevo, all airport services worked smoothly and within the framework of local orders: “We received a signal from the board at 04.33 in the morning. Ten minutes later the plane landed. We understand the feelings of the passengers - the plane taxied for 10 minutes, and it seemed like an eternity to everyone. But the pilots worked within the instructions. Everything was done clearly, down to the second.”

Hope for a travel companion

You are flying on a plane, and suddenly you or your loved one begins to feel ill. What to do, who to rush to for help? Unfortunately, while you are in the sky, the only hope, oddly enough, is not on the crew, but on fellow travelers.

Of course, first of all you will contact the flight attendant. There is always a first aid kit on the plane. Another thing is that its contents may not ensure that the patient maintains a normal condition. Moreover, there are no uniform requirements for airlines to provide even the simplest medical care on board an aircraft. Many airlines deal with this problem on their own, but the amount of assistance available varies widely.

Can the crew - pilots or flight attendants - provide medical assistance to the injured person? In Europe, the crew of an airliner must have first aid skills, but very little has been said about the standards by which such training should be carried out. Our crews, says Artur Bunin, are also trained in first aid skills. But the training lasts only three days. How much will you learn during this time?

It turns out that if a passenger experiences sudden acute poisoning, goes into labor, or has a heart attack, there is no hope for the flight attendants. “According to the rules, the flight attendant or pilot is required to inform all passengers on the plane about the incident via loudspeaker. And find out whether there is a professional doctor on board, and better yet, with a specific specialization,” says the head physician of Sheremetyevo.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization, the death rate of passengers on board aircraft is 25.1 deaths per million flights. Of these, 13.1 cases are associated with heart disease. Moreover, 62 percent of passengers who died on board the plane already suffered from cardiovascular disease.

Lost in translation

So, a professional medic was found on board (oh, happiness!), and the passenger is provided with the necessary assistance. Meanwhile, the crew acts. As the deputy general director of the airport Andrei Nikulin explains, the board immediately transmits information about the incident to the dispatchers of the nearest airport, the dispatchers notify the flight director, who contacts the responsible airport services. While the plane makes an emergency landing at the nearest airport, medical assistance is being prepared.

However, unpleasant nuances must be taken into account. According to the management of Sheremetyevo Airport, in the case of Artem Chechikov, the pilots actually told the dispatchers that the passenger had a heart attack and needed an immediate landing. “But we have not received information that resuscitation measures are being carried out on board. And therefore we were not prepared for such a situation,” says Andrei Nikulin. Although Artem’s widow Elena Chechikova, as well as passengers who witnessed the events, told reporters that the crew reported to the ground that resuscitation was needed.

However, this discrepancy in testimony cost the life of a young student. According to Nikulin, the Spanish pilots, speaking non-Russian, could have given somewhat distorted information. And the dispatchers, perhaps as a result, misunderstood the crew. Apparently, if you are flying on board a foreign company, you need to personally monitor what information the crew reports to the ground, and if serious assistance is required, ensure that the ground services are informed about this.

Who's waiting on earth?

Unfortunately, the airport medical service is only qualified for emergency care. According to Arthur Bunin, doctors - a doctor and a paramedic - boarded the plane not only with “green stuff and iodine,” as witnesses to the incident claim, but also with a defibrillator. But they cannot and should not provide resuscitation.

“Our medical personnel are coming on board to assess the patient’s condition. If first aid is needed, he provides it. Then everything depends on the situation - it could be intoxication, childbirth, infection - anything. In this situation, the opinion of a qualified doctor is important. Our staff calls for appropriate help,” says Artur Bunin. According to the chief doctor of Sheremetyevo, this was done in the case of Artem Chechikov. Airport doctors did not interfere with the actions of the passenger resuscitator providing resuscitation to the student. After 15 minutes, the resuscitation team was called.

There are also nuances. How to deal with a patient with infectious diseases? What if a passenger is flying from an exotic country and turns out to be a carrier of hemorrhagic fever or malaria? This is dangerous for others, which is why there are special sanitary and quarantine control points at international airports.

Often, workers at such points inspect cargo or interview crew and passengers about their health status. The carrier of a dangerous infection is first isolated and then hospitalized in the infectious diseases department of the hospital. Medical assistance will also be provided to everyone who had contact with this passenger.

But in calling a team of resuscitators, perhaps, lies the greatest difficulty. The fact is that Sheremetyevo is obliged to call an ambulance from Moscow - after all, long ago the airport was assigned to the capital, and since then this jurisdiction has been maintained. Although calling an ambulance from the Moscow region will not save the situation: according to airport representatives, in Lobnya, the nearest settlement, there are no ambulances at all.

The resuscitation team can also be called by passengers. But it is the responsibility of airport doctors to call emergency doctors. At the same time, they explain at the airport, you still have to call 911. But in an emergency situation - which happened to Artem Chechikov - you can use a direct number, which is what the Sheremetyevo doctors did. However, the ambulance still drove for an hour. The reason for this delay of the car is still unknown.

Artem Bunin notes that, according to his data, not a single airport in the world has its own intensive care unit. In cases where such specialized assistance is required, the airport calls in an external team. But, according to Deputy General Director of Sheremteyevo Andrei Nikulin, the tragedy that happened to Artem Chechikov may force a reconsideration of existing practice.

“It is such sad cases that force changes in legislation,” say the airport management. They intend to initiate such changes in laws and, perhaps, it will be possible to achieve the appearance of a resuscitation service on the territory of airports.

Legal assistance

There is no need to fear that bureaucratic delays on the ground will interfere with the prompt actions of doctors. Anna Zakharenkova, head of the press service of Sheremetyevo Airport, explained that the border guards, indeed, boarded the liner to check documents, but they communicated with the crew, and the doctors acted in parallel and did not stop providing medical assistance to Artem Chechikov. In addition, having landed at a Russian airport, any foreign aircraft is already under the jurisdiction of our airport, and our medical workers have the right to act boldly.

There is a full-time psychologist at the airport. Don't hesitate to ask for psychological help. Often it is not even the victim who needs it, but his relatives who were flying with him. Help such passengers find a psychologist who can reassure people and provide, among other things, practical assistance (give water, organize help with luggage, with food).

However, it may be that the passenger does not receive proper medical care. Or there will be a tragic ending. What to do? Lawyers advise not to give up in any case. Lawyer Igor Trunov is convinced that it is necessary to demand payment of material and moral damage - and this can be done through the court, or you can negotiate with the culprit companies themselves.

The lawyer advises not to stand on ceremony when determining the amount of damage and to demand the maximum amount of payment. Igor Trunov has handled many cases involving plane crashes and other cases where people were injured or killed, and says that in many cases he claims a fabulous sum by Russian standards. This is 40 million rubles. However, judging by Western standards, this is not even enough.

“This amount follows from decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. The ECHR has several decisions that the court has made on complaints from Europeans. Strasbourg has established that a human life cannot be worth less than 1 million euros.”

Of course, our courts collect much more modest compensation from the perpetrators, but, according to the lawyer, the more the victim asks, the greater the likelihood of receiving the maximum gain.

Important! Risk group

Passengers need to remember what diseases can cause complications at a 10-kilometer altitude. First of all, these are cardiovascular diseases: coronary heart disease, angina pectoris and hypertension. Flying is contraindicated for those who have recently suffered a heart attack, stroke or hypertensive crisis (you need to wait at least six months). It is worth remembering that the pressure on board the aircraft is low, corresponding to the pressure at an altitude of about 2,000 meters above sea level, which is why less oxygen enters the human blood, and this is dangerous both for heart patients and for passengers with increased intracranial pressure. Passengers with blood clotting disorders are also at risk.

Flights are dangerous for those who suffer from venous diseases, thrombophlebitis, thrombosis - a sedentary state during a flight leads to stagnation of blood and swelling. This is fraught with blood clot rupture.

Pressure changes during a flight can have a negative impact on the condition of people suffering from pneumonia and asthma. Otitis can develop into aerootitis; sinusitis and a simple runny nose are also dangerous - in this case, you should at least use vasoconstrictor drops.

Those who have recently undergone surgery should not fly. There is also a flight ban for expectant mothers: different airlines have different rules; a pregnant woman may not be allowed on board at 36 weeks (in some companies, as early as 28 weeks). And newborn children can only be transported on an airplane if accompanied by a doctor.

help yourself

But is there any way to be on the safe side during a flight? Doctors advise: If your illness in a critical situation may require urgent medical attention, ask your doctor for detailed written recommendations, translate the leaflet into English and several other languages, and travel with these rules.

This is especially true for patients with diabetes, asthma, arrhythmias, and hypertension. It is better to have the necessary medications with you on the plane. Think not only about yourself, but also about your loved ones, especially elderly parents, who are flying somewhere on their own, without your accompaniment. Give them this reminder with you.

By the way, about medications. It must be remembered that the drug usually contains a specific active ingredient, which has an international name. It is this – as well as all possible analogues – that should be included in the list of important drugs that can help in an acute situation. Requirements for the transportation of medicines, as well as syringes, should be checked with your airline in advance, before the flight.

If you are allergic to any medications, anesthetics, if you have implants or titanium prostheses in your body, please also include this information in your memo.

If you are pregnant, it is also worth taking a note from your doctor, with all the necessary recommendations.

And most importantly, warn the flight attendant that you may become ill during the flight. Let the flight attendants know where your instructions and required lists are located.

When is it safer to fly - during the day or at night? Is it possible to independently determine the degree of wear of an aircraft? Is it possible to understand that it is falling during the flight? Should a pilot warn passengers about emergency situations? A navigator with 25 years of experience, Igor Obodkov, told us what you should pay attention to before boarding a plane and during the flight.

- Where can I find out what fleet of aircraft an airline has?

The website of the Federal Air Transport Agency should contain data on the airline fleet. Some companies, for example Aeroflot, publish on their website information about what types of aircraft they have. There is also the average age of the fleet. Aeroflot has it for no more than five years. But the age of the ships is not the most important thing to pay attention to. First of all, you need to ensure that flights operate regularly. You need to look at the history of the company, how many years it has existed.

When pilots board an old plane, they probably realize it's a wreck. Does it happen that the crew refuses to fly for this reason?

Such cases do happen. There are pilots who are principled, but there are also those who think that if everything went well on the last flight, then the next time it will be fine. There is a list of malfunctions with which you can and cannot fly, but still a lot depends on the pilot. Someone may refuse to fly because of a crack of one or two millimeters.

We are trying to ensure that pilots have guaranteed pay, because now everything depends on the number of hours spent at the controls. It is clear that piecework often forces pilots to neglect both malfunctions and fatigue. For the sake of money, many fly to the limit, especially when it comes to short flights - to Kazan or St. Petersburg.

In their conclusion about the Tyumen disaster, experts noted that the crew had over a hundred days of vacation arrears. International associations have long introduced a system for monitoring pilot fatigue. In Russia, no one is in a hurry to implement it, although fatigue is the very notorious human factor that is most often cited as the cause of accidents.

- Should someone warn passengers that the plane is going around?

Nobody warns about this, since the situation is normal and the pilots practice go-arounds in simulators. The reasons are different: they might have lost speed due to strong winds, maybe the flaps weren’t extended, maybe the pilot realized that he didn’t fit into the landing zone. The pilot usually makes the decision to go around at an altitude of 30–60 m.

Judging by CCTV footage, the Boeing in Kazan fell into a tailspin during landing. Why might this happen?

For each wing position there is a minimum speed. As a rule, the plane goes into a tailspin when it reaches critically low speeds. Most often this happens if the pilot selects the wrong position of the aircraft. But a stall can also occur at high speed if, for example, the pilot suddenly pulls the steering wheel towards himself. Then the speed can reach a critical value.

It is almost impossible to realize that you are falling. When a person flies on an airplane, he gets lost in space

- How can an ordinary person flying on an airplane understand that something has gone wrong?

It is almost impossible to realize that you are falling. When a person flies on an airplane, he gets lost in space. Even a pilot will not be able to clearly determine the position of the aircraft in the air if the horizon is not visible. But, for example, shaking is not an indicator, since it could be an ordinary bump. It’s also a bad sign if there’s a burnt smell on board. This is already more realistic, you need to immediately call the conductors and find out what happened. Maybe something burned in the kitchen, or maybe the wiring is smoking.

- Should a pilot warn passengers about emergency situations?

My opinion is that it is better for the pilot not to tell passengers that something is going wrong, it is better for them not to know, because panic may begin, which will only complicate everything.

- What is the level of training of graduates of our flight schools?

They, as a rule, are trained on one type, and have to work on another. All graduates complete their studies within a year and a half to master the type that is available in the airline. Often graduates of Russian flight schools complete their studies abroad. Knowledge of English is required even on domestic flights. In the conclusion of the IAC on the plane crash in Tyumen, by the way, a poor knowledge of the English language was noted - they simply could not understand some part of the documentation on the plane, it is all in English.

- Do you need to look at the weather forecast when choosing a flight?

There is no point in paying attention to the weather before departure. The crew themselves sometimes report, for example, that the weather is sunny, but in the end almost nothing depends on this. Flight safety mainly depends on the level of training of the crew.

To determine whether weather conditions will affect the flight, you need to know the minimum of the aircraft, the airfield and the crew - the minimum visibility range on the runway. The lower the visibility at which the plane can land, the better. The aircraft minimum depends on the level of its automation, the airfield minimum on technical equipment, and the crew on experience, number of hours and landings, all simulators must be completed. Of course, no one will tell you these indicators before the flight.

- Do day and night flights differ in terms of safety?

Day or night - it doesn't matter at all. Although at night, high-intensity lights are sometimes better visible, by which the pilot navigates when approaching. During the day, especially in foggy weather, they are more difficult to see. True, you need to take into account that pilots are also living people and they may want to sleep.

- Can a passenger determine a malfunction of the aircraft or problems with the crew based on external signs?

Only if you approach the plane and fuel is leaking from it. Or if you see a noticeable crack on the plane. It happens that passengers begin to suspect that one of the crew members is drunk. I've never encountered any of the above, but it's theoretically possible. Airlines strictly ensure that pilots take the controls sober, but pilots can drink even during the flight. In America, for example, pilots now undergo random control after landing. At Aeroflot, the administration also has this right.

Abroad, there is a voluntary reporting system so that pilots can tell dispatchers about a malfunction, but in many Russian companies, such a message will result in sanctions against the confessing pilot.

This is not entirely true. It’s one thing if we are talking about an already tested and approved model. But the failure rate on older aircraft is indeed higher. Old technology also requires high costs. Their leasing payments are lower, but maintenance is much more expensive, and parts often need to be replaced. It happens that airlines, saving on leasing, simply do not change parts in time.

How should controllers behave in a situation where pilots report a malfunction? Is there a general pattern that they do not deviate from, or do they decide on their own?

Pilots make the decision themselves, and controllers can only clear the area if an urgent landing is required, or give route instructions if visibility is poor.

Is the fact that something happened to the plane somehow reflected on the scoreboard? Will it just say “delayed” or is there some other wording for such cases?

Usually they write one of two options - for technical reasons or due to weather conditions. But I would not panic because of the wording “for technical reasons”, because this does not mean that some kind of malfunction was discovered - maybe there is simply no reserve aircraft or there is no fuel.

- Russia has frightening statistics of air accidents. How much can you trust her?

The statistics are really bad. And then, not all incidents are included in the statistics. There are malfunctions that dispatchers did not have time to record. Let’s say a tire went flat on landing, the safe altitude was reduced, or the landing gear couldn’t be lowered the first time. Such incidents also affect airline ratings. Abroad, there is a voluntary reporting system so that pilots can tell dispatchers about a malfunction, but in many Russian companies, such a message will result in sanctions against the confessing pilot.