On August 15, 2019, a Ural Airlines flight, SZH178, was prepared for departure from Zhukovsky Airport (UUBW) to Simferopol Airport (URFF). The flight crew, consisting of a captain and a first officer, had completed pre-flight medical examinations and the aircraft had undergone a daily maintenance check the previous day. The aircraft, an Airbus A321-211 with registration VQ-BOZ, was prepared for takeoff with 226 passengers, 1752 kg of baggage, and a total fuel load of 15936 kg.
At 03:12, the crew began the takeoff roll on runway 12. Prior to receiving takeoff clearance, the air traffic controller notified the crew of the potential presence of birds in the area. Shortly after the aircraft became airborne, at an altitude of approximately 0.6 to 1.2 meters and roughly 2 km from the runway exit, the aircraft collided with a flock of seagulls. Individual birds involved in the strike were noted to weigh more than 1.13 kg.
The collision caused mechanical damage to both engines, resulting in a reduction of total available thrust to a level lower than the thrust of a single operational engine in FLEX 49 mode. Flight recorders documented changes in the operating modes of both engines during the event. Due to the loss of thrust and the aircraft's configuration, with the undercarriage not yet retracted, the crew was unable to continue the flight.
The aircraft subsequently performed a forced landing outside the airfield. There were no injuries or fatalities reported following the incident.