What happened
During a flight originating from Timișoara with a destination of Bucharest, the crew encountered adverse weather conditions that prevented a landing at Băneasa Airport. Following instructions from air traffic control, the aircraft was diverted to Craiova Airport; however, landing there also proved impossible due to the ongoing weather situation. The crew was subsequently vectored toward an airport located in northern Romania.
While en route, the aircraft encountered intense turbulence and powerful downdrafts associated with a widespread storm affecting much of the Romanian airspace. These extreme atmospheric conditions led to a structural failure of the fuselage, causing the plane to break apart while in flight. The wreckage was distributed across a wide area encompassing both fields and wooded terrain, approximately 2 km south of Cugir and roughly 55 km west of Sibiu. There were 32 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the accident was the result of a loss of control during flight. The aircraft encountered severe turbulence and downdrafts generated by thunderstorm activity. In an attempt to maintain a level flight attitude amidst these conditions, the airframe suffered a structural failure of the fuselage, which led to the mid-air disintegration of the plane.