Turkey did not allow a Rossiya Airlines plane to enter its airspace due to a transponder malfunction. The incident occurred on February 19th on a Superjet 100 aircraft flying from Sochi to Istanbul.
Entry to Airspace Blocked Due to Transponder Malfunction
According to Lenta.ru, Turkish air traffic controllers informed the flight crew that crossing the Turkish border was impossible due to the inoperative transponder. A malfunction was detected in one of the flight control systems shortly after takeoff. Despite this, the captain decided to continue the journey to Istanbul, overcoming all challenges.
Radar System Malfunction and Return
However, as the Russian pilots approached the Turkish border, they were notified by local aviation authorities of an issue with the aircraft’s secondary radar system. As a result, the plane could not enter Turkish airspace and had to return to Sochi.
Passengers Continued Their Journey to Istanbul on a Replacement Aircraft
The aircraft carried 79 passengers, two pilots, and three cabin crew members. The plane that returned to Sochi was grounded for necessary technical work. The passengers continued their journey to Istanbul on a replacement aircraft.
