Haunting Final Words of Pilot Who Let His Kids Fly Plane Before Crash Killed Everyone Onboard

What started as a father’s attempt to share a memorable moment with his children ended in tragedy when Aeroflot Flight 593 crashed, killing all 75 passengers and crew on board.

The incident occurred on an Aeroflot flight. Credit: JoanValls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images

The devastating incident, which took place on March 23, 1994, stemmed from a critical error in the cockpit, where Relief Captain Yaroslav Vladimirovich Kudrinsky allowed his children, Yana (13) and Eldar (15), to sit at the controls of the aircraft.

The Flight and Crew

Aeroflot Flight 593 was en route from Moscow to Hong Kong, staffed by an experienced crew:

• Captain Andrew Viktorovich Danilov
• First Officer Igor Vasilyevich Piskaryov
• Relief Captain Yaroslav Vladimirovich Kudrinsky

Together, they had thousands of flight hours.

For Kudrinsky, this flight was special as it was his children’s first international trip. He invited them into the cockpit to give them a firsthand glimpse of his profession—an act against airline regulations but one that seemed harmless with the autopilot engaged.

The Critical Error

At 12:43 AM, Yana sat in her father’s seat, pretending to “fly” the plane. Her brother Eldar replaced her minutes later, manipulating the controls.

Unbeknownst to the crew, Eldar’s pressure on the control stick overrode the autopilot, switching the plane into manual control. A subtle warning light blinked on the dashboard, but it went unnoticed.

There were no survivors. Credit: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The aircraft began banking, its stability compromised. Realizing the danger, Captain Kudrinsky acted swiftly, shouting:

“Eldar, get away. Go to the back, go to the back, Eldar! You see the danger, don’t you? Go away, go away, Eldar! Go away, go away. I tell you to go away!”

The Crash

Despite the crew’s frantic efforts, their overcorrection caused the plane to stall and enter a spin. At 12:58 AM, the aircraft crashed into the Kuznetsk Alatau Mountain range in southern Russia, obliterating on impact.

There were no survivors.

Aftermath and Investigation

Initially, Aeroflot denied pilot error, but cockpit voice recordings and flight data exposed the truth.

The tragedy was deemed a result of:

• Allowing unauthorized individuals into the cockpit.
• Failing to recognize the autopilot’s disengagement.

Legacy of the Tragedy

The crash of Flight 593 stands as a harrowing reminder of the catastrophic consequences of human error and regulatory breaches in aviation.

Featured Image Credit: JoanValls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images