Event Details
On 29 August 2015, at 13:15 local time, a Cessna T207A registered D-EAFU experienced a right main landing gear tire failure while taxiing on taxiway Alpha toward the departure runway at Băneasa Airport. The pilot immediately terminated the flight activity. The aircraft sustained no damage, and the pilot and two operators were uninjured.
The airport authority issued a NOTAM closing the airport until 15:10 LT for safety reasons.
Investigation Findings
A CIAS operational team arrived at the scene and observed the following:
- The damaged tire had already been replaced.
- The aircraft was towed to the SSAVC hangar for further examination.
- Inspection of the taxiway revealed no debris or sharp objects that could have caused the puncture.
- The tire itself showed no perforations or deterioration.
- The wheel rim had no irregular or sharp surfaces that could have cut the inner tube.
Documentation Issues
The aircraft was operated under a wet lease by SSAVC from Free University Berlin, Institute for Space Sciences, as part of the AROMAT-2 campaign (monitoring atmospheric composition). The lease was authorized by AACR via Letter of Approval No. 22043/26.08.2015.
Review of the documentation revealed:
- The file submitted to CIAS by AACR lacked the operator's authorization document and documents defining flight safety responsibilities.
- The aircraft's Permit to Fly (issued by Germany) authorized only testing and/or training flights, but the actual operations involved atmospheric composition analysis, which was inconsistent.
- No technical inspection at the ramp had been performed.
- The AACR approval letter only authorized the wet lease without specifying the permitted activities, creating a mismatch between the approval and the contracted operations.
Conclusion
Considering the findings and a similar case from 2007 (Diamond DA42 OE-FCD), the investigation commission recommended classifying the event as an incident and not initiating a full investigation. CIAS issued a safety recommendation to AACR to include in future approval letters the specific activities the aircraft is allowed to perform, in line with its Permit to Fly and the contract objectives.