Banat Air Flight 166

Banat Air

Industry	Aviation
Headquarters	Romania
Products	Air charter services

Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence Banat Air Flight 166 involved an Antonov Antonov An-24 with the registration Template:Airreg, chartered on 13 December 1995 by Banat Air from Romavia.

The flight was scheduled to travel from Verona, Italy, to Timișoara, Romania, but crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all eight crew members and 41 passengers. Investigation revealed that the aircraft was significantly overloaded and had ice and snow accumulation on its wings. This incident marked the 116th fatal accident involving an Antonov 24.

Accident

While positioned at parking stand B6 at Verona-Villafranca Airport, continuous snowfall occurred with an ambient temperature of 0 °C. After boarding forty-one passengers for the flight to Romania, the pilot opted against having the aircraft deiced. Shortly after 19:30 local time, the plane taxied toward the threshold of runway 23; however, departure was delayed due to heavy air traffic.

At the moment Flight 166 received clearance for takeoff, temperatures had dropped below freezing. Soon after becoming airborne, the aircraft reached its maximum velocity. As it banked to the right, there was a sharp decrease in airspeed, prompting the pilot to apply nose-down elevator input which temporarily increased speed. The right bank continued with nose-up elevator applied again, causing a substantial reduction in speed and a bank angle reaching sixty-seven degrees. The crew lost control of the airplane, which then impacted the ground with its right wing first, disintegrating and igniting upon contact.

Investigation

The inquiry revealed that the accident resulted from several factors, notably the interruption of airflow over the wings caused by ice accumulation, which occurred because the aircraft departed without undergoing de-icing procedures. Additionally, investigators identified spatial disorientation and an excess weight of approximately 2000 kilograms as significant contributors to the crash.

See also

• Aviation safety
• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft

External links

• Template:ASN accident
• Romanian (YR) air incidents at baaa-acro.com (Archive)
• An analysis placing the accident within the broader framework of Italian aviation safety, with references to the 2001 Linate Airport runway collision