Ukrainian Pilot, Mykola Volkozub Who Survived Chernobyl Disaster Ready to Fly Again at 86
Ukrainian military pilot Mykola Volkozub is ready to take his first flight after the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.
Chenobyl, April 26: Ukrainian military pilot Mykola Volkozub is ready to take his first flight after the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. Volkozub could hardly move under the weight of a lead vest meant to protect him from radiation as he prepared for the flight over the nuclear reactor.
Volkozub survived the danger of being killed by radiation during the world’s worst nuclear disaster. He is 86 years of age. For the last 23 years, he has been working in the hangar at an Antonov, a state-run aircraft manufacturer. Volkozub supervises pilots of the company.
Today is the 32nd anniversary of the tragic incident which took place in Ukraine, that time was part of the Soviet Union. The Chernobyl disaster was caused by a mishandled security test in the fourth reactor of the nuclear plant. Clouds of nuclear material were also formed over Europe.
Volkozub was deployed in a team of two pilots, an engineer and a scientist. He was to fly an MI-8 helicopter over the reactor to measure the temperature and composition of gases inside. The final count of the people killed in the accident is still debatable.
Volkozub was awarded a 'Hero of Ukraine' medal for his efforts during the tragic incident. After performing three flights which lasted for 19 minutes 40 seconds in total, Volkozub was exposed to such a high dose of radiation. Immediately after the third flight, he was sent to Moscow for medical tests. Talking to Reuters, he recalled an incident how nurses used to push food towards him with the help of a long stick to avoid physical interaction with him as they were afraid of getting contaminated.
Volkozub told Reuters, “I landed there, near (the site). And when I left the place, I felt very sorry for the helicopter. It seemed to me it had not failed me, but I had to throw it away.” The helicopter in which he conducted three flights over the exploded reactor was also buried at a so-called cemetery for decommissioned equipment, Volkozub recalls with teary eyes.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 26, 2018 02:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).