YEKATERINBURG, August 16. /TASS/. The pilots of the Ural Airlines Airbus A321 that belly landed in the Moscow region on Thursday have returned to their home town of Yekaterinburg, the air carrier’s spokesperson told TASS on Friday.

"The pilots returned… to Yekaterinburg overnight into August 16," the spokesperson said.

Flight commander Damir Yusupov and second pilot Georgy Murzin managed to land the aircraft in a cornfield after both engines had failed following a bird strike shortly after takeoff from Moscow’s Zhukovsky International Airport. There were over 230 people on board the aircraft. The crew have been recommended for state awards.

Yusupov, 41, graduated with honors from the St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation in 2013 and was immediately hired by Ural Airlines. In 2018, he also graduated from the Ulyanovsk Institute of Civil Aviation, the Flight Navigation Department. Yusupov has over 3,000 hours of flight experience.

Murzin, 23, graduated from the St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation in 2017 and was hired by Ural Airlines in 2018. He has more than 600 hours of flight experience.