Incident Overview
On the day of the accident, the crew departed Bucharest-Otopeni Airport at 1300 local time, bound for Oradea. While descending in poor weather conditions, the airplane struck tree tops, stalled, and crashed on a snow-covered hill in the Vlădeasa Mountain Range, approximately 73 kilometers southeast of Oradea Airport.
Discovery and Survivors
The wreckage was located three days after the crash. A passenger was found alive, while 20 other occupants were killed. The survivor informed rescuers that at least eight other people had survived the initial impact but later succumbed to extreme low temperatures.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be a premature descent by the flying crew, causing the aircraft to pass below the minimum prescribed altitude, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain. The lack of visibility due to marginal weather was considered a contributing factor.