Accident Details
The aircraft, operated by Banat Air and leased from Romavia, arrived at Verona-Villafranca Airport following an uneventful flight from Timișoara. It remained parked on the ground for one hour before departing. The crew decided to initiate takeoff without performing any pre-departure deicing or anti-icing procedure, despite ongoing snowfall.
Weather and Conditions
At the time of the accident, weather conditions included wind from 290° at 2 knots, horizontal visibility of 1,300 metres, runway visual range of 2,000 metres, haze and snow falls, overcast ceiling at 500 feet, outside air temperature of 0°C, dew point below zero, and QNH 1010.
Flight Sequence
After liftoff from runway 23, the crew began a slight turn to the right toward heading 239°. Approximately 25 seconds later, the aircraft's speed decreased to 179 km/h. The crew applied elevator down, increasing speed to 185 km/h, but when they selected elevator up again, speed dropped to 155 km/h. The aircraft then rolled to the right to an angle of 67°, lost altitude, and crashed in a field located 1,500 metres from the airport. Upon impact, the aircraft disintegrated and burst into flames. All 49 occupants were killed, including 31 Italian businessmen, 4 Serbs, and 14 Romanians (all crew members).
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause as loss of control during initial climb due to the loss of aerodynamic properties consequent to the crew's decision not to perform any deicing or anti-icing procedure before departure. Contributing factors included poor weather conditions; excessive accumulation of snow and frost on the wings, tail, elevators, stabilizers, and fuselage; the crew's underestimation and poor judgment of weather conditions; spatial disorientation of the pilot-in-command during initial climb due to the unusual attitude caused by loss of aerodynamic properties, combined with snowfall, poor night visibility, and possible optical illusion from headlights; the aircraft's total weight being 2 tons above maximum takeoff weight; the inability to check the weight and balance sheet prior to takeoff because the crew failed to transmit the document and ground personnel did not request it; and a slight loss of power on the right engine shortly after liftoff.