Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 10 May 2008
Aircraft Type: Antonov An-2R
Owner/operator: Victor Avia
Registration Number: YR-PBL
Location: near Ulmeni – ÿ Romania
Phase of Flight: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Component Affected: Aircraft fuselage, fuel tanks, and remaining fuel.Aircraft fuselage, fuel tanks, and remaining fuel.
Investigating Agency: AIASAIAS
Category: Accident
An An-2 aircraft, bearing registration YR-PBL, experienced a catastrophic landing near Ulmeni, Romania. The aircraft performed aerial chemical treatments, followed by a maneuver to align with a high-voltage line. During the landing, the aircraft suffered a rough touchdown, fire, and subsequent destruction. The incident was likely caused by an unsuccessful emergency landing, exacerbated by a combination of factors including a high-speed descent and a flattened touchdown.An An-2 aircraft, bearing registration YR-PBL, experienced a catastrophic landing near Ulmeni, Romania. The aircraft performed aerial chemical treatments, followed by a maneuver to align with a high-voltage line. During the landing, the aircraft suffered a rough touchdown, fire, and subsequent destruction. The incident was likely caused by an unsuccessful emergency landing, exacerbated by a combination of factors including a high-speed descent and a flattened touchdown.

Description

The An-2 aircraft registered YR-PBL, with a pilot and a ground mechanic onboard, performed aerial chemical treatments near Ulmeni, Romania. Total flight time was about 3 and a half hours, with several short flights of 16-17 minutes, on average, each flight consisting of several low-altitude passes over the farmlands. After each flight, the aircraft was refueled with both fuel and chemical products required for the aerial chemical treatments. After the last refueling, the aircraft took-off and performed 3 passes over the working area. At the last pass, in order to align on the working direction, it was necessary to perform a maneuver to cross a high voltage line situated in the immediate vicinity of the working area. According to a witness statement, when the aircraft crossed over the high voltage line, the aircraft being inclined to the right, a loud noise was heard (similar to a bang, as described by the witness), followed by a fire in the rear of the aircraft. Subsequently, the aircraft had a pronounced descending trajectory, with a rough, flattened, touchdown. After the impact, the aircraft wreckage was scattered on a radius of about 35 m. The aircraft fuselage was broken, the fuel tanks were broken, and the remaining fuel intensified the fire, the aircraft being completely destroyed Determinant cause: Performing an unsuccessful emergency landing, the touchdown being rough, flattened, and most likely with a high speed. Favoring cause: The occurrence of an undetermined event onboard the aircraft.

Primary Cause

Unsuccessful emergency landing due to a combination of factors including a high-speed descent and a flattened touchdown.Unsuccessful emergency landing due to a combination of factors including a high-speed descent and a flattened touchdown.

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