Forget the gear. I mean the chances of even getting three greens at such height is fairly slim when the decision to drop is even made.

The only checklist I’m aware of for 500ft failures are Trim/Pick Field/Land. Those who start looking at checklists usually end up dead.

Finally, a few sensible and realistic comments!

BA008 at LHR is instructive, main gear dug deep furrows before separating from the wing spars.

Zhukovsky has one of the longest runways in the world, over 17,700 feet I seem to recall. Used to be a Soviet test base, and I suspect the fields beyond may have been envisaged as an overrun.

Nothing to add except hats off to that crew, and further proof that the A321 is built like a damn tank :O

Enjoy that vodka lads, you earned it :ok:

Judging on the video, they were busy aviating.

From the cabin crew side, an injured donk isn't immediately reason for initiating unprepared emergency landing procedure. They may have not even realised it was coming to a forced landing until too late- I've not operates on A320 of that type, only A380, but if it's anything like B737 visibility when seated is fairly limited unless you crane your neck out if semi brace position.

Crew were likely going on the cues available to them- no announcement from FD, odd engine noise with stable but descending flight- would not be surprised if it was perceived as return to field situation by cabin crew.

They likely just didn't realise until right at touchdown how literally a "field" it was :}

Well done to all, amazing to see a pretty intact aircraft.

Anyone else see the corn and get shades of UAL232? Better outcome this time fortunately

Bloody well done.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49355236

Some images from a drone.

If you're going to come down in a field with the gear still up, a crop of nicely frangible maize is probably as good as it gets.

For the most part, landing on agricultural land is more akin to a water landing than a ground landing. Rough furrows and ditches, soft surface to grab the gear (how many planes get their gear stuck in soft ground 1 meter off a taxiway?!), etc. Stick one gear in the mud before the other, and you're going for an amusement-park ride.

Operating the gear adds drag - what does that do to your ROD and ability to hold that touch of extra speed for a flare (which may do more to soften the impact than the gear themselves)?

Personally, I think this crew just reverted to basic flight training - Session #2. In case of low-altitude power loss: 1) keep your airspeed safe. 2) land straight ahead. Good for them and good for everyone else.

If you have 10000 meters, or 1000 meters, instead of < 250 meters - then you have time to consider other options and dig out the SOPs.

I am surprised to hear that only some 50 pax decided to cancel the trip. The rest 170+ are ready to take another flight tomorrow or the day after. Those civvies are not so ease to scare :-)

Looking at a number of aerial photos, I would say that the evidence of just how quickly it all happened is that there was no attempt to bank even slighly so as to line up with a single field rather than across 2 fields which included a ditch. I'd say it was just a case of straight in and hope for the best.

Many moons ago an AUSTRIAN FOKKER crahed on a field close to at EDDM, both engines out due to icing
Pax o/b 27. They went on to an airport bus and about 20 or so took their connecting flights....

A friend, pilot flying A-321 for the time being, told me he remembers the list in case of no power on both engines, GEAR DOWN by GRAVITY is preceptive if you're ABOVE 1000 FT.
He added that he thinks there were no "real time" to make anything else but aviate.

Now from my own: surely PIC knew what had down and ahead (an open field) and made thinks smooth enough to come to this happy end.
I'm pretty sure he couldn't SEE ahead and only tried to make the "landing" the best the possible. And did it!!!

Airbuses are really strong beasts :D

Which is it, then ?