Relief Captain Kudrinsky regarded Flight 593 as especially memorable because it was the first overseas trip for his children, 13-year-old Yana and 15-year-old Eldar.
Kudrinsky brought his kids into the cockpit to watch him work, hoping to create a memorable experience.
Even though it violated airline regulations, the crew believed it was safe to let the kids sit at the controls since the autopilot was engaged.
Around 12:43 AM, Yana took her father’s seat and pretended to “fly” the plane.
A few minutes later, her brother Eldar replaced her and adjusted the controls to mimic flying. But at 12:54 AM, things took a disastrous turn.
Eldar’s inputs to the control stick, which lasted over 30 seconds and exerted forces up to 10 kilos, overrode the autopilot, switching the plane to manual control.