Investigation Summary
The aircraft involved, HA-TSA, had a unique history, having been a U.S. Air Force C-47 confiscated by Hungary in 1951 after being forced to land by Soviet MiG-15s. On the day of the accident, the crew was conducting their fifth sightseeing flight of the day. Investigation revealed that the flight was severely mismanaged: although the aircraft was within weight limits, it was overcrowded with 23 passengers in 21 seats, including three unauthorized guests who were acquaintances of the crew. Two female guests were present in the cockpit during the flight, creating significant congestion. The captain, a veteran fighter pilot, performed a series of wavy flight paths and rolls at altitudes between 400 and 450 meters. During a final sharp maneuver, the elevator was held too long, causing the nose to lift and the aircraft to roll right. The resulting loss of airspeed led to a stall and spin. Because passengers were not wearing seatbelts, they were thrown from their seats when the aircraft turned onto its back, further complicating any recovery efforts. The fuselage broke in two upon impact; the tail section fell into the courtyard, killing three young people who were repairing bicycles.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the disaster was caused by multiple counts of crew misconduct and the performance of forbidden maneuvers. The presence of unauthorized persons in the cockpit and the failure to ensure passengers were buckled in were cited as major safety violations. Following the accident, sightseeing flights over Budapest were banned for a significant period. The state-controlled media initially suppressed the full scale of the tragedy, reporting only 20 fatalities instead of the actual 30.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Elevator
The investigation found the elevator was held too long during a climb, causing the nose to lift excessively and leading to a stall.
Shvetsov ASh-62IR Engines
Soviet-built engines installed during the aircraft's conversion to the TS-62 passenger standard to match the Malév Li-2 fleet.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a former U.S. military C-47 confiscated by Hungary in 1951.
- 02Three people on the ground, aged 13, 17, and 20, were killed by the falling tail section.
- 03Six bodies were found in the cockpit, including two female passengers who were not authorized to be there.
- 04None of the passengers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
- 05The aircraft was fitted with Soviet Shvetsov ASh-62IR engines instead of its original Pratt & Whitney engines.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Sightseeing Flight Ban
Sightseeing flights over the capital city of Budapest were banned for a long period following the accident.
Cockpit Access Regulations
The Ministry of Transport and Posts implemented stricter regulations regarding cockpit access and passenger safety protocols.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikipedia geotag.