Pilot Whose Engines Went Out Mid-Flight Made One Desperate Decision

While the passengers of Ural Airlines Flight 178 sat back and relaxed in their seats, crew members scrambled to get everything ready for takeoff. However, on that seemingly ordinary flight, pilot Damir Yusupov would have to go above and beyond the call of duty. Not long after take-off, with 226 passengers on board, the plane's engines suddenly sputtered to a stop thousands of feet in the air. As the plane started plummeting to the ground, Captain Yusupov knew he had to pull off a miracle.

A seasoned pilot

That fated day, forty-one-year-old Captain Damir Yusupov settled into his seat and checked the flight itinerary. He and his copilot had an early morning trip, heading south from Moscow's Zhukovsky Airport to the popular vacation destination of Simferopol, Crimea. They had every reason to expect a routine passage — at first.

Taking off

The route they were set to fly was a short one, and one that Yusupov had flown countless times before. The weather was clear, too; everything, it seemed, was shaping up for an easy day of work. All the pre-flight checks were taken care of, so Yusupov got the go-ahead to push back from the gate.

Warning sign

Slowly, his plane joined the line-up and began to move towards the runway. After being cleared for take off, Yusupov pushed the throttle forward. The engines roared to life as the journey began. Passengers in the cabin, however, immediately realized something had gone wrong.

Weird movements

As the plane started to rise, it suddenly lurched forward. Passengers heard strange noises coming from outside their windows and a burning smell wafted through the cabin. Panic began to spread.