Region
Europe

Crash of a Douglas DC-3G2-227 in Mt Găină: 11 killed

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1940 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
YR-PIF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bucharest – Arad – Budapest – Vienna
MSN:
1986
YOM:
1937
Location:
Mt Găină
Arad
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
En route from Bucharest-Băneasa to Arad, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity, hail and turbulences. The airplane deviated from the prescribed route by 100 km when, in low visibility, it collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area located on the slope of Mt Găină located in the Apuseni Mountain range, Carpathians. The wreckage was found some 70 km southwest of Cluj-Napoca. Eight passengers and three crew members were killed while nine other people were injured.
Those killed were:
Crew:
Gheorghe Dodani, pilot,
George Irimescu, mechanic,
Dumitru Ianculescu, radio operator.
Passengers:
Heinrich Göring,
Virgil Cherciu,
Peter F. Feld,
Dumitru Zaharescu,
Paul Emil Lindau,
Fabritius Helnicit,
Ottmar Weise-Ulog,
Valter Gugenbergen.
Probable cause:
According to officials, the accident was caused by a navigational error on the part of the crew, widely favored by poor weather conditions and the lack of sufficient visibility.

Crash of a Lockheed 14-H2 Super Electra in Bucharest

Date & Time: Jul 24, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 14 Super Electra
Operator:
Registration:
SP-BPL
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Warsaw - Bucharest
MSN:
1493
YOM:
1939
Location:
Bucharest-Băneasa
București
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed for unknown reasons while approaching Bucharest-Băneasa Airport. Occupant fate unknown. It seems the flight was unauthorized.

Ground fire of a Lockheed 14H Super Electra in Bucharest

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 14 Super Electra
Operator:
Registration:
SP-BNJ
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lydda – Athens – Thessaloniki – Sofia – Bucharest – Warsaw
MSN:
1424
YOM:
1938
Location:
Bucharest-Băneasa
București
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight, the crew landed at Bucarest-Băneasa Airport. While taxiing to join his parking place, a sudden fire erupted. The crew stopped the airplane on the taxiway and all seven occupants evacuated safely before the aircraft would be totally destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Undetermined fire during taxiing.

Crash of a Lockheed 14H Super Electra near Gӑinești: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1938 at 1738 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 14 Super Electra
Operator:
Registration:
SP-BNG
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Warsaw – Lviv – Chernivtsi – Bucharest – Thessaloniki – Athens
MSN:
1432
YOM:
1938
Location:
Gӑinești
Suceava
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
Less than 30 minutes after its departure from Chernivtsi Airport, while cruising over the region of Suceava, north part of Romania, the crew encountered very bad weather conditions. The twin engine airplane entered an uncontrolled descent, dove into the ground and crashed in a hilly and wooded area located near the village of Gӑinești, some 35 km southwest of Suceava. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 14 occupants were killed, among them the Romanian composer and aviator Ionel Fernic.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the Board that the accident was caused by lightning which struck the aircraft in flight. Strong turbulences should be a contributory factor.

Crash of a Potez 543 in Constanţa: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 13, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Potez 540
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Constanţa - Constanţa
Location:
Constanța
Constanța
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in an exercice in the area of Constanţa when it crashed in unknown circumstances. All six crew members were killed, among them Maj Alimanescu.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-152 in Bistriţa: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
URSS-M25
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bucharest – Moscow
MSN:
1413
YOM:
1935
Location:
Bistriţa
Bistrița-Năsăud
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
En route from Bucharest to Moscow, the aircraft suffered an in-flight fire that quickly spread in the cabin. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in an open field located near Bistriţa, Transylvania. All six occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that a passenger lit a cigarette in the rear toilets where fuel vapors accumulated, causing a sudden and violent fire.

Crash of a Bloch MB.210 in Kronstadt

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Bloch MB.210
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Brașov
Brașov
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a delivery flight from France to Romania. Upon landing at Kronstadt Airport (now Brașov), the airplane went out of control and came to rest, bursting into flames. All five crew members evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Bucharest

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1937
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Registration:
YR-DRA
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bucharest - Bucharest
MSN:
6329
YOM:
1936
Location:
Bucharest-Băneasa
București
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training mission out from Bucharest-Băneasa Airport. Shortly after takeoff, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were injured.

Crash of a Fokker F7b/3m near Bălăciţa: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1931 at 1900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F7
Operator:
Registration:
F-ALGT
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Paris – Prague – Vienna – Budapest – Belgrade – Bucharest – Istanbul
MSN:
18
YOM:
1931
Location:
Bălăcița
Mehedinți
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget at 0400LT on a flight to Istanbul with intermediate stops in Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and Bucharest. En route from Belgrade to Bucharest, the pilot informed ground about poor weather conditions. Shortly later, while flying in stormy weather, the airplane went out of control and crashed in an open field located in Bălăciţa, Romania. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed. It was later confirmed by local authorities that the airplane was destroyed upon impact but that all six occupants were strip by locals and that the wreckage was set on fire.
This aircraft with MSN 18 crashed a first time on 24 July 1931 near Mokren, Bulgaria, and was destroyed by a post crash fire. It was rebuilt and crashed again today. Rebuilt a second time with other wings and MSN 24, it crashed a third time in Vienna on 23 November 1935.
Crew:
Mr. Gloditch, pilot,
Georges Daniel, radio operator.
Passengers:
Mr. Martinot,
Mr. Gruener,
Mr. Sternberg,
Mr. Doo.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by strong turbulences and stormy weather.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth in Bucharest: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1931
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
Operator:
Prince Jean Ghica
Registration:
CV-TUR
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bucharest - Bucharest
MSN:
1805
YOM:
1930
Location:
Bucharest-Băneasa
București
Country:
Romania
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
This De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth was the second owned by the Prince Jean Ghica, in replacement of the first DH.60 also registered CV-TUR that crashed on delivery on 10JUL1930 (c/n 1269). While flying at a height of 3,000 feet on approach to Bucharest-Băneasa Airport, the aircraft went out of control, spiraled to the ground and crashed. The passenger was killed and the pilot Prince Jean Ghica was seriously injured.
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