Romania

At the end of the afternoon, while completing a spraying mission, the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in a field located near Ulmeni. The captain was seriously injured and the copilot was killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Timişoara, the crew initiated the approach to Bucharest-Otopeni-Henri Coanda Airport in poor weather conditions. After touchdown, the crew encountered difficulties to stop the aircraft. On a wet runway surface, the aircraft deviated to the right, causing the right main gear to be torn off while contacting soft ground. The airplane came to rest, straddling on the runway edge. All 73 occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Around 1100LT, an airport maintenance team consisting of four people in two cars (Kia minivan) was cleared to enter runway 08R to perform maintenance work on the runway lighting system. Two of the men were working at about 600 meters from the threshold and the two other men were working at about 1500 meters from the threshold. Visibility at the time was poor due to thick fog. At 11:04 the runway was vacated by both vehicles due to landing traffic. At 11:06 they were recleared to enter the runway. At 11:25:13 flight ROT3107, a Boeing 737-300, was cleared to enter runway 08R for takeoff. The flight was cleared for takeoff at 11:26:07. Between 11:26:40 and 11:26:50 the control tower asked the maintenance workers if the runway was clear but got no reply. During the takeoff roll, at a speed of 90 knots, the aircraft collided with one of the van that was 'parked' about 600 metres from the threshold with its left engine and left main gear. The van was totally destroyed upon impact and the aircraft veered off runway to the left and came to rest 137 metres to the left of the centerline and 950 metres from the threshold. All 123 occupants evacuated safely and there were no injuries with ground maintenance personnel.

The crew was performing a mail flight from Bucharest-Băneasa Airport to Iaşi on behalf of the National Romanian Postal Service. On board were two pilots and a load of 310 kilos of mail. On approach to runway 15, the crew encountered poor visibility due to bad weather conditions and initiated a go-around procedure. During the second attempt to land, at an altitude of 2,700 feet, the crew informed ATC he would make a right turn outbound when the aircraft entered a left circuit and descended until it crashed in a wooded area located 300 metres west of the tower. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both pilots were killed.

The aircraft, operated by the Romanian Civil Aviation Authority (Autoritatea Aeronautică Civilă Romănă) departed Bucharest-Băneasa Airport on a calibration flight to Satu Mare and Baia Mare Airports, carrying five passengers and three crew members. The goal of the operation was to calibrate the precision approach radar and the IFR equipment at both Satu Mare and Baia Mare Airports. The mission at Satu Mare was completed successfully and the crew continued to Baia Mare Airport located about 43 km to the east. Following three successful approaches, the crew initiated a fourth descent when he was informed by ATC about the deterioration of the weather conditions with snow falls and a reduced visibility to 3 km. On approach, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft struck trees and crashed onto a house located about 7,5 km short of runway 28. The aircraft and the house were destroyed. All eight occupants were killed as well as two people in the house. A third people on the ground was injured.

Tarom flight 371 was a scheduled passenger service from Bucharest Otopeni Airport (OTP) in Romania to Brussel Airport (BRU), Belgium. On board were 49 passengers and eleven crew members. The first officer was pilot flying, the captain was pilot monitoring. Following de-icing, the Airbus A310 taxied to runway 08R for departure. The flight was cleared via the Strejnic 'STJ' VOR/DME beacon and an initial climb to flight level 260. Takeoff was initiated at 09:04 hours local time. When airborne, the captain announced positive climb and co-pilot requested to retract the landing gear. At 09:07:20 the captain called the Otopeni Approach controller and received a clearance to turn left and proceed direct to STJ. The co-pilot asked the captain to select direct STJ on FMS. The captain confirmed a direct STJ selection and requested the co-pilot to move the control wheel slightly. At an altitude of 1700 feet and speed a 187 knots, with flaps 15/slats 15 and pitch angle of 17.6 degrees, the aircraft was turning left, with a bank angle of 12 degrees, flying towards STJ. At 09:07:36, when the aircraft crossed 2000 feet at 188 knots, an engine thrust asymmetry started developing with continuous decrease of the left engine thrust, approximately 1 degree TRA (throttle resolver angle)/second. At 09:07:53, when the aircraft was crossing 3300 feet altitude at 195 kts turning with a decreasing bank angle of 20 degrees, the first officer called "250 in sight" and asked the captain to retract the flaps. This was carried out. At that moment, the engine thrust asymmetry reached 14.5 TRA degrees and 0.19 for EPRs. The first officer then requested slats retraction, but this action which was not carried out by the captain. At this moment the aircraft was passing through 013 degrees magnetic heading, at 3800 feet altitude and a decreasing speed of 185 kts. The aircraft pitch angle was 16,5 degrees, decreasing, and the left bank angle was 18 degrees, also decreasing. At that time the thrust asymmetry reached was 28 TRA degrees and 0.27 for EPRs. At 09:08:02, the first officer asked the captain: "Are you all right?" The aircraft was passing through 330 degrees magnetic heading, 4200 ft altitude, a decreasing speed of 181 kts, and an increasing 17 degrees left bank angle. At 09:08:08, a noise like an uttering of pain or a metallic noise was heard. The aircraft was crossing 4460 ft altitude, 179 kts speed and an increasing bank angle of 22 degrees. At that time the engines thrust asymmetry reached 0.36 for EPRs. The bank angle continued to increase to 28 degrees and the engine thrust asymmetry reached 0.41 for EPRs. At 09:08:15, the first officer, with a stressed and agitated voice, requested engagement of autopilot no. 1. The aircraft was crossing 4620-ft altitude, continuing its turn at an increasing bank angle of 43 degrees and a steadily decreasing pitch angle of 3.5 degrees. One of the pilots attempted to engage autopilot no. 1 The aircraft started a descent with 45 degrees bank angle and the engine thrust asymmetry had reached the maximum value of 0.42 for EPRs, followed by a continuous thrust reduction of engine n°2. One second later, there was recorded autopilot disengagement followed by the aural warning a level 3 "cavalry charge" lasting several moments. From that moment on, the aircraft started diving, the speed increased and the aircraft performed a complete rotation around its roll axis. At 09:08.28, first officer cried out "THAT ONE HAS FAILED!" without any other comments. The aircraft was descending through 3600 ft at 258 kts speed and an increasing nose down pitch angle at 61.5 degrees. The aircraft continued until it impacted the ground at a nose down attitude of approximately 50 degrees pitch angle with both engines at idle power. The airplane was destroyed and all 60 occupants were sustained fatal injuries.

During the takeoff roll at Oradea Airport, the flight engineer under training prematurely retracted the landing gear. The aircraft sank on its belly and skidded on runway before coming to rest. All 11 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.