What happened
After completing a routine flight from Timișoara, the Romavia-leased ATR 42 (registration not provided) sat on the ground at Verona-Villafranca Airport for approximately one hour. During this period, the local weather was characterized by snow, haze, and low visibility, with an overcast ceiling of 500 feet and temperatures at 0°C.
Upon departure from runway 23, the aircraft began a minor right-hand turn. Approximately 25 seconds after liftoff, the airspeed decreased to 179 km/h. The crew attempted to recover speed by adjusting the elevators downward, which briefly raised the speed to 185 km/h. However, when the elevators were subsequently moved to an upward position, the airspeed dropped further to 155 km/h. This led to a significant right bank of 67 degrees, causing the aircraft to lose altitude. The plane struck a field roughly 1,500 metres from the airport, where it broke apart and caught fire.
There were 49 fatalities in the accident, representing the entire population of the aircraft, including all crew members and passengers consisting of individuals from Italy, Serbia, and Romania.
Findings
Investigation into the sequence of events indicates that the crew proceeded with the takeoff without performing necessary deicing or anti-icing procedures despite the presence of falling snow and freezing temperatures.