Accident
On 28 December 1989, an Antonov AN-24 aircraft, registration YR-BMJ, departed Bucharest-Otopeni on a special flight to Belgrade to collect humanitarian supplies. While at cruising altitude, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near the village of Vişina in Dimbovita county. All seven occupants on board died, including British photographer and journalist Ian Parry, who was covering the Romanian Revolution.
Investigation
The investigation into the crash determined that the aircraft sustained damage to its left horizontal stabilizer. The stabilizer's structure was weakened, leading to an uncommanded and sudden trim change that jammed in position. This caused the aircraft to enter a dive, and the flight crew was unable to actuate the flight controls to regain control of the trajectory.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause stated that the crash resulted from the action of a force external to the aircraft, including the possibility of impact with a foreign object on the flight trajectory. This event occurred in the area of the left horizontal stabilizer. The external force weakened the stabilizer structure, caused an uncommanded trim jam, and made it impossible for the crew to recover the aircraft due to reasons independent of the aircraft itself and the crew's actions or will.