Cluj | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

For unknown reasons, the airplane landed nose first at Cluj-Napoca Airport. The ground impact was so hard that the cockpit was destroyed and the aircraft came to rest on runway. All three crew members in the cockpit were killed while 52 other occupants were evacuated safely.

Crash of an Antonov AN-24B on Mt Vlădeasa: 20 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1970 at 1345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-24

Operator:

Registration:

YR-AMT

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bucharest - Oradea

MSN:

7 73 033 10

YOM:

1967

Flight number:

RO035

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Bucharest-Otopeni Airport at 1300LT bound for Oradea. While descending in poor weather conditions, the airplane struck tree tops, stalled and crashed in a snow covered hill located in the Vlădeasa Mountain Range, about 73 km southeast of Oradea Airport. The wreckage was found three days later and a passenger was found alive while 20 other occupants were killed. The survivor told rescuers that at least eight other people survived the crash but later died due to extreme low temperature.

Probable cause:

Premature descent on part of the flying crew, causing the aircraft to pass below the minimum prescribed altitude. This resulted in a controlled flight into terrain. The lack of visibility due to marginal weather was considered as a contributing factor.