TAROM ATR 42-500 Serious Incident at Bucharest-Otopeni Airport (YR-ATF)

Incident Overview and Flight History On 9 July 2019, an ATR 42-500 operated by TAROM, registered YR-ATF, was scheduled to complete two commercial transport flights totaling four segments. The final segment of the day was from Satu Mare International Airport to Bucharest Otopeni International Airport. The aircraft carried 26 people: the pilot in command, the co-pilot, two flight attendants, and 22 passengers. Take-off from Satu Mare proceeded normally, with the co-pilot serving as the pilot flying and the pilot in command as the pilot non-flying. The approach and landing were conducted for runway 08L at Bucharest Otopeni. The aircraft touched down within the touchdown zone and on the runway axis. ## Event Sequence and Damage After runway contact, the pilot positioned the engine power levers at ground idle. The aircraft then experienced strong deceleration, unusual noises, and vibrations. Another aircraft on taxiway “O,” parallel to runway 08L, reported dense smoke near the right main landing gear of YR-ATF. After traveling approximately 560 meters, the aircraft stopped on runway 08L at 19:43 local time (16:43 UTC), near the intersection with taxiway “W.” Emergency response teams found that all main landing gear tires and wheel rims were destroyed. The aircraft was immobilized, and runway 08L/26R was temporarily closed. Passengers disembarked using the normal procedure, and there were no injuries. ## Aircraft and Crew Information The aircraft was an ATR 42-500, serial number 599, manufactured in 1999, with 37,142 total hours and 33,071 cycles. It was powered by two PWC PW127E turboprop engines. At the time of the incident, two deferred defects were listed on the Hold Item List: low-pressure spool rotation speed and right-hand strobe light. The investigation stated these defects did not affect flight safety and were not likely to cause or influence the occurrence. The pilot in command was a 29-year-old male with 2,100 total flight hours, including 1,930 on the aircraft type. The co-pilot was a 30-year-old male with 1,400 total flight hours, including 1,220 on the aircraft type. Both held valid licenses and Class 1 medical certificates with no restrictions. ## Investigation Context The civil aviation safety investigation was conducted by the Romanian authority under applicable European and Romanian regulations. Its objective was to determine causes and circumstances and to issue safety recommendations, not to apportion blame or liability. The report classified the event as a serious incident.