Russian analysis highlights recent upward trend in hard landings

Russian safety analysis has revealed a disturbing upward trend in the number of hard landings by large transport aircraft which, it concludes, is not simply the result of a rise in traffic. The federal Aviaregister Russia – through a decision by air transport regulator Rosaviatsia – conducted a study into hard landings over the period from Jan 2009 to Oct 2019. It states that 176 such landings took place in the timeframe but the annual number remained “relatively stable”, at around 14, until 2015. But during the last 3 years, 2017-19, the trend has been increasing by 5 or 6 incidents per year. “The increase in the number of hard landings, starting in 2017, does not correspond to the increasing flight [activity] during this period,” says the Aviaregister analysis, stating that 28 occurred in the space of 10 months last year. <br/>