What happened
During an approach to Sibiu Airport, an aircraft encountered challenging weather characterized by high winds and limited visibility. While the flight was descending at an altitude of approximately 1,700 meters, the plane collided with the snow-covered Mt Lotru. The impact occurred roughly 22 km from the start of the runway threshold. The collision resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and 33 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the crew made incorrect decisions regarding the approach configuration. This error caused the flight path to drift significantly, placing the aircraft about 20 km south of its intended trajectory. The investigation also noted that adopting an improper approach configuration was a primary factor in the deviation, while heavy winds and poor visibility served as contributing environmental conditions.