What happened
A cargo flight consisting of a four-engine aircraft departed from Bucharest-Otopeni Airport at 23:16 local time, destined for Timişoara. The flight was transporting a crew of five along with four mechanics who were traveling to Timişoara to perform maintenance on another aircraft.
While cruising at an altitude of 6,100 meters, the flight crew provided a position report and established an estimated time of arrival for 00:03 local time. Following instructions to descend to 2,440 meters, the crew transitioned to a new frequency to communicate with Timişoara Approach. After the aircraft passed over the Faget area, the crew received clearance to descend further to 1,800 meters. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft disappeared from radar and radio contact.
The aircraft subsequently crashed into a mountain slope within the Retezat Mountain Range, situated approximately 18 km northwest of Uricani and 130 km southeast of Timişoara Airport. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and there were nine fatalities among the occupants.