Siberian plane frozen to tarmack when temperature dips past -50C
Digital Reporter
Thursday, November 27, 2014, 6:46 PM - Passengers were forced to get outside and push a plane that was frozen to the ground in Siberia when the temperature dipped past -50 Celsius Tuesday.
Seventy-four passengers and seven crew members, as well as technical staff, braved the freezing conditions to help move the Tupoley TU-134 plane to the runway for takeoff.
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"The passengers disembarked to lighten the weight, and then they volunteered to move it,” a spokesperson for the airline told reporters.
The plane was grounded some 163 km north of the Arctic Circle, with the temperature hovering around the -52C mark.
After spending more than 24 hours on the tarmac prior to takeoff the plane's wheels had adhered to the ground, but no systems on the aircraft were harmed. Once on the runway, the plane safely took off and reached its destination.
The airline is currently investigating the incident.
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