MOSCOW, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he has signed a decree awarding the Hero of Russia titles to the captain and co-pilot of a plane who saved the lives of all 226 passengers during a hard landing.
He told a meeting of the Russian Security Council that he also awarded the Order of Courage to other crew members of the airliner, which successfully landed on a corn field near Moscow following a bird strike on Thursday.
The A321 of Russia's Ural Airlines, bound for Crimea's capital of Simferopol from Moscow, struck a flock of gulls shortly after take-off, which disrupted the work of both engines.
The crew "made the only right decision" to immediately land the plane, chief of Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), Alexander Neradko, told reporters.
"The crew has shown courage and professionalism and deserve the highest state awards," he said.
