Summary
On 31 January 1994, an Antonov AN-24, registered YR-BMI, operated by TAROM on flight RO 465/6 (Bucharest-Baia Mare-Satu Mare-Bucharest), experienced an incident during a precision approach to Baia Mare Airport. The aircraft sustained severe damage to the left fuselage, but all 30 passengers and crew remained uninjured.
Sequence of Events
The flight departed Bucharest at 17:16 and landed normally at Baia Mare at 18:41. After disembarking some passengers, the aircraft departed for Satu Mare at 19:05 with 30 passengers and 1800 kg of fuel, without refueling. Weather at Satu Mare was initially suitable but deteriorated rapidly between 19:15 and 19:20, with snowfall, increased wind, visibility dropping to 1300 meters, and ceiling lowering to 300 meters. At 19:21, the crew requested to return to Baia Mare, which was approved.
Approach control at Baia Mare provided weather updates: at 19:24 visibility was 1500 meters with snow and a ceiling of 1200 meters; by 19:33 the ceiling had dropped to 180-200 meters. The crew requested a precision approach using radar. During the approach, the controller indicated the aircraft was "slightly below glide path" by about 15 meters. The commander used low engine power on short final, which, combined with the below-path position, led to significant deviations. Corrections were made mainly with the elevator rather than engines. At approximately 600 meters from the runway threshold, the aircraft struck a 3.5-meter metallic pillar supporting a power cable for the approach lights. After traveling another 120 meters, it hit the cable and several approach lights, then contacted the ground about 50 meters before the threshold, entered the runway, and rolled to the terminal in poor visibility and darkness.
Damage
The impact damaged the left fuselage from frame 1 to frame 31 and between stringers 5 and 18, including the radome. The power cable installation was destroyed over a distance of about 120 meters. No injuries occurred among occupants.
Causes
The investigation determined the following causes:
- Improper aircraft handling by the crew during the approach, descending below the nominal glide path from the outer marker with excessively low engine power.
- The radar-PAR controller repeatedly provided "slightly below glide path" information when the aircraft was not within the approach volume.
- The crew did not execute a missed approach at company minima despite adverse weather and low fuel.
- The captain did not select Oradea as the alternate airport, which had suitable conditions, choosing instead Baia Mare, which was at minimums and subsequently deteriorated.
A favoring cause was the sudden weather deterioration at Satu Mare and later at Baia Mare, which caught the crew by surprise.