Azerbaijan Airlines A320 Dramatically Overruns Runway at St. Petersburg
An Azerbaijan Airlines Airbus A320 had a nerve-wracking moment when it overshot the runway at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, coming to a stop on the grass next to runway 28R.
Landing Gear Glitch Triggers Emergency
Flight AHY020 ran into trouble shortly after takeoff, halting its climb at 6,000 feet due to landing gear problems. The pilots made two tense low passes before circling for a full hour. After several attempts, they declared a Mayday and finally touched down safely just after midnight (0040Z).
Three-Hour Fuel Burn Before Safe Landing
Azerbaijan Airlines revealed the A320 spent nearly three hours circling St. Petersburg to burn off excess fuel before the risky landing. The airline stressed, “To ensure maximum flight safety, the captain decided to return to Pulkovo due to a technical issue with the landing gear.”
All 155 Passengers Evacuated Unharmed
Thankfully, all 155 passengers were quickly evacuated without a scratch. A tense drama in the skies over Russia ended in a lucky escape for everyone on board.
