A hero pilot has been awarded a national medal of courage for safely landing a packed passenger jet “blind” after its windshield was smashed by giant hailstones in a violent storm over Turkey.
Incredible footage has emerged of Captain Alexander Akopov, who works for the Turkish company, AtlasGlobal, heart-stopping emergency landing at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport as he flew completely ‘blind’ to bring 127 tourists safely to earth after golf ball sized hailstones shattered the windscreen of his ‘severely damaged’ jet.
Captain Alexander Akopov, saved the lives of 121 passengers and 6 crew members by landing the Airbus A320 after unforgiving winds, rain and hail pummelled the jet’s nose and windscreen.
Photo Credit: Getty
