Passengers forced open the emergency exits on a plane after it was engulfed in smoke following a hair-raising landing.
The tourists on the jet from Turkey disobeyed flight crew instructions and escaped from the plane.
The escape followed a landing in appalling weather during which the plane tipped onto its right-side wing.
As it came to a standstill, the 169 passengers on board the flight from Antalya began to escape as the aircraft was engulfed in smoke.
A woman called Alexandra said: “The stewardess told passengers not to move, but they began to run out of the plane that had already landed.”
Soon after, flight crew gave the order to escape on slides from the emergency exits.
Alexandra said: “The plane collapsed on the right wing during the landing, it began to smoke.
“It tore some seats, belts, it was already raining, but landing was allowed.”
Some accounts said wheels had broken off the plane, others that they had sunk into the soft ground.
The incident involving the Bravo plane run by UR-CPR company was at Kiev’s Zhulyany/Igor Sikorsky Airport airport.
Some passengers received injuries during the landing and escape at 8.40pm local time on Thursday.
Others were described as suffering from shock.
One passenger Yulia said: “Before landing those who were sitting near the wing did see smoke.
“The speed was high, the plane was strongly shaking.
“Everything was moving here and there, I had to push my legs hard against the seat in the front.
“We were touching the tarmac already knowing that either a wing or a turbine was on fire.
“We careered off the runway to the field. We were turning round, the wing began to scratch the ground, the wheels came off.
“Strong smoke came out, very pungent.”
She added: “We were the first to jump up from our seat and rushed to stewards.
“We asked – what happened? Is it ok now? She replied – perfect, run ahead, jump out!
“We ripped out the doors, those front doors near the cockpit, and began to run out. Everyone crowded near one exit.
“Not all evacuation exits were open, then the passengers either opened or broke through the exit on the wing and began to run out on the top of the wing, people were with children…”
Another passenger said: “People were picking up other people’s children…”
Passenger Yuri Dubenets Yuri said: “We stayed alive only thanks to the efforts of the cabin crew.”
The airline said the plane was “affected by the strong wind flows when approaching the Kiev International Airport”.
“The strong wind which changed its direction frequently together with the rain affected the landing of the plane.
“The aircraft rolled out of the runway and into the side of the field.
“As a result of the incident, none of the passengers were injured.
“There were 169 passengers and six crew members on board of the plane.
“All passengers were evacuated in accordance with all emergency procedures and taken to the airport arrival terminal.
“At the moment, an investigative team has been formed by the National Bureau of Investigation of Aviation Incidents.”
The airline said the pilots were highly experienced with more than 13,000 flying hours including 5,000 on this type of plane.
They “successfully landed the plane despite difficult unpredictable weather conditions”.
The airport was closed for three hours after the incident.
(Mirror online)