What happened
On December 28, 1989, an An-24 aircraft, registered YR-BMJ, was operating a special mission from Bucharest-Otopeni to Belgrade. The purpose of the flight was to transport humanitarian supplies. While the aircraft was maintaining its cruising altitude, it experienced an uncontrolled descent that led to a crash in the vicinity of Vișina village, located in Dimbovita county.
The accident resulted in seven fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the crash was caused by an external force acting upon the aircraft. Evidence suggests that the plane may have struck a foreign object located within its flight path. This impact specifically affected the area of the left horizontal stabilizer, causing structural damage to the component.
This damage led to a sudden, uncommanded trim and a subsequent jamming of the horizontal stabilizer in a fixed position. As a result, the aircraft entered an uncontrollable dive. The impact with an external object rendered the flight crew unable to use the flight controls effectively to recover the aircraft's trajectory or stabilize the flight.