Flight History
On 31 March 1995, an Airbus A310-324, registration YR-LCC and named "Muntenia," operated by TAROM as flight ROT 371, was scheduled to fly from Bucharest-Otopeni Airport (LROP) to Brussels Airport (EBBR). The estimated time of departure was 06:00 UTC. During the pre-takeoff briefing, the co-pilot was designated as the pilot flying. After de-icing procedures, the aircraft received taxi clearance to runway 08R and a departure clearance via the STJ VOR-DME, with an initial climb to flight level 260.
At 06:06:44 UTC, the aircraft initiated takeoff. Shortly after becoming airborne, the captain, acting as pilot not flying, made call-outs and instructed the co-pilot to keep both hands on the control wheel while the captain guarded the engine throttles. At 06:07:20 UTC, the captain contacted Otopeni Approach and received clearance to proceed direct to STJ with a left turn.
At 06:07:36 UTC, while the aircraft was at approximately 2,000 feet and 188 knots, an engines thrust asymmetry began to develop, characterized by a continuous decrease of the left engine thrust at a rate of about 1 degree of thrust resolver angle per second. The asymmetry increased over time. The co-pilot called for flap retraction at 06:07:53 UTC, and the captain executed it. At 06:07:58 UTC, the co-pilot requested slats retraction, but the action was not carried out by the captain.
At 06:08:02 UTC, the co-pilot asked the captain, "Are you all right?" ("Ce ai ma?"). Six seconds later, a noise described as human pain or metallic was heard. The thrust asymmetry had reached 0.36 engine pressure ratio difference. At 06:08:15 UTC, the co-pilot, with a stressed voice, requested engagement of autopilot 1. The aircraft attempted to engage it at 06:08:18 UTC but then recorded autopilot disengagement followed by an aural warning (level 3 "cavalry charge"). From that point, the aircraft's attitude degraded: it began diving, speed increased, and it performed a complete rotation around its roll axis. The last radar altitude recorded was 4,400 feet; subsequent radar returns provided only the aircraft code and call sign without altitude. The aircraft crashed near Balotesti village, approximately 3 km north of runway 08R, at coordinates N44.34.05 and E026.05.02.
Causal Factors
The investigation commission identified the following causal factors: thrust asymmetry, possible pilot incapacitation of the captain, and insufficient corrective action from the co-pilot to address the consequences of the first two factors.
Aftermath
Following the accident, Airbus Industrie issued two mandatory service bulletins, enforced by a French DGAC directive, addressing remedy measures to eliminate probable causes of the malfunction. Additionally, amendments to the Aircraft Maintenance Manual and Trouble Shooting Manual were issued and sent to operators for documentation updates.