Investigation Summary
The flight departed at 13:03 CEST under instrument flight rules. Approximately 10 seconds after liftoff, the pilot engaged the autopilot and Lateral Navigation (LNAV) mode. However, these systems were disengaged roughly 1 minute and 40 seconds later. The aircraft failed to follow the Standard Instrument Departure (SID) heading of 130 degrees, instead continuing a turn toward the west. Air traffic control instructed the pilot to turn left to heading 120, but the aircraft turned right again. During this period, the pilot made a brief radio contact that he immediately interrupted. The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of approximately 5,300 feet before entering a vertical dive. The impact occurred at a bus station complex under construction in San Donato Milanese, approximately 1.8 kilometers southwest of the runway threshold. The post-impact fire destroyed the airframe and several nearby vehicles, though no one on the ground was injured.
Final Conclusions
The National Agency for the Safety of Flight (ANSV) released its final report on June 21, 2024. The agency concluded that the most probable cause was a loss of control during a manual SID departure in daytime IMC conditions. The report suggests the pilot suffered from cognitive task saturation, channeling his attention toward the navigation system at the expense of basic manual flight control. A recurring lack of pilot training and the inadequate handling of a possible (though unconfirmed) non-catastrophic technical failure were cited as contributing factors. The investigation noted that the aircraft's Lightweight Data Recorder was inoperative at the time of the flight due to a pre-existing fault that the owner had elected not to repair.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
The pilot was the owner of the aircraft, Dan Petrescu. Although some media reports and Wikipedia initially listed two crew members, the ANSV final report confirmed there was only one pilot on board; the other seven occupants were passengers.
Systems & Failure Modes
Lightweight Data Recorder (LDR)
A device intended to record flight data and audio; in this instance, it was inoperative due to a known fault that had not been repaired during maintenance.
Autopilot / LNAV
Systems used to automate flight path following; they were engaged shortly after takeoff but disengaged less than two minutes later for unknown reasons.
Interesting Facts
- 01The pilot was Dan Petrescu, one of Romania's wealthiest businessmen.
- 02The Lightweight Data Recorder (LDR) was found to be inefficient and non-functional prior to the accident flight.
- 03The aircraft was only six years old at the time of the crash, manufactured in 2015 (MSN 1532).
- 04All eight occupants, including a one-year-old child, were killed in the impact and subsequent fire.
- 05The building struck by the aircraft was vacant and undergoing renovation, preventing ground fatalities.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Maintenance Oversight
The investigation highlighted the danger of operating aircraft with known faults in recording equipment, even when not strictly required for private operations, as it impedes accident analysis.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · AIRPORT LEVEL · Coordinates are the estimate published in the official investigation report. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.