Think you have travel woes? At least you don’t have to push your own plane down a frozen tarmac in -50C temperatures like these travellers in Siberia did.
This wasn’t a “pop the clutch because the battery is dead and hop in at the last second as the plane takes off” kinda sitch. Nope! Apparently, a technician used the wrong kind of grease on the landing gear, which made the Tu-134 aircraft technically serviceable, but caused its brake pads to freeze over. Meaning one of the plane’s wheels was literally frozen to the tarmac of Igarka Airport, located just above the Arctic Circle.
Thanks to the strength of these (likely voluntold) passengers, the plane was able to take off and landed safely. Although, I can’t imagine boarding that thing with full faith you’d land at your destination. Siberians are clearly made for a different brand of weather. Think about that as you complain about the wintry mix screwing up your trip home today. [Siberian Times via Digg]
Update: According to USA Today and others, although the passengers did volunteer to push the frozen plane, this is likely more of a photo opp than anything.