In 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 crashed en route from Moscow to Hong Kong, killing all 70 on board. The disaster occurred after relief pilot Yaroslav Kudrinsky allowed his children into the cockpit. His 16-year-old son, Eldar, unknowingly disengaged the autopilot while the plane was cruising.
Though the plane was briefly under manual control, it veered off course, entered a stall, and crashed into Russia’s Kuznetsk Alatau mountains. Black box recordings captured the crew’s desperate attempts to recover control, as well as the chaos that unfolded in the final minutes.
The crash was ruled a result of human error—specifically, unauthorized cockpit access. In response, Aeroflot and the aviation industry tightened cockpit protocols, reinforcing the importance of strict safety rules.
