An S7 Airlines Airbus A321neo stalled during an in-flight upset after take-off from Magadan/Sokol, Russian investigators report.
The jet, VQ-BGU (c/n 8620), was operating flight S7-5220 between the port town in the east of the country and Novosibirsk/Tolmachevo in Siberia on December 2.
The crew declared a mayday shortly after departure from runway 10 due to unreliable airspeed and related problems with the autopilot and autothrust.
Around one minute after lift-off, the autopilot disconnected and the climb was continued to nearly 9,000ft. According to Rosaviatsia’s report, the crew then attempted to return to Magadan. The jet then began a gradual descent over the next four minutes.
According to Aviation Safety Network, in the seven-minute period that followed, flight data recorder pitch, roll and altitude parameters showed rapid oscillations and severe instability in flight.
