Investigation Summary
The investigation centered on a 'terrible coincidence' of mechanical failure and human tragedy. The Airbus A310 had a documented history of autothrottle anomalies where one lever would retard to idle during the transition to climb power. On the accident flight, Captain Bătănoiu was aware of this and intended to guard the throttles manually. However, just as the asymmetry occurred, he suffered a suspected heart attack or similar incapacitating event. This left First Officer Stoi to manage a complex mechanical failure while his colleague was dying beside him. Stoi, who had spent the majority of his career flying Soviet-built aircraft, was relatively new to the A310's 'inside-out' Attitude Direction Indicator (ADI). In the thick cloud cover, without visual references and under extreme stress, he likely suffered spatial disorientation, unable to interpret the ADI correctly to recover from the 61.5-degree dive. The French Ministry of Transport noted that the inverted roll representation between Eastern and Western artificial horizons likely contributed to the First Officer's inability to apply correct recovery inputs.
Final Conclusions
The accident was caused by the combination of a mechanical malfunction (autothrottle asymmetry), pilot incapacitation, and the First Officer's inability to execute recovery maneuvers in IMC. Contributing factors included the lack of specific procedures in the Airbus FCOM for this known autothrottle defect and the First Officer's limited experience with Western-style flight instrumentation compared to his extensive background in Soviet-designed cockpits.
Video Analysis
How a terrible coincidence brought down this Aircraft — A detailed look at the tragic sequence of events on TAROM Flight 371, where a mechanical glitch and a medical emergency occurred at the exact same moment.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
48 years old; graduated Aurel Vlaicu Military Aviation School in 1969. Last simulator training on type: 12 November 1994 at Swissair, Zurich.
First Officer
51 years old; the A310 was his first aircraft with a Western-style ADI. Last simulator training on type: 21 September 1994 at Swissair, Zurich.
Systems & Failure Modes
Autothrottle System (ATS)
A system designed to automatically manage engine power; excessive friction in kinematic linkages caused one lever to retard to idle.
Attitude Direction Indicator (ADI)
The primary instrument for orientation; the A310 used a Western 'inside-out' display which differed from the Soviet 'outside-in' displays the First Officer was accustomed to.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was named 'Muntenia'.
- 02The aircraft had logged 31,092 flight hours and 6,216 cycles at the time of the crash.
- 03The autothrottle defect was a known issue previously reported by Delta Air Lines and TAROM maintenance.
- 04The First Officer had 8,988 total flying hours but only 650 hours on the A310.
- 05The crash site was identified following a phone call from the Balotești railway station.
- 06The impact created a crater six meters deep.
Safety Actions & Advisories
FCOM Procedure Updates
The investigation noted that while TAROM and Swissair had procedures for autothrottle asymmetry, the official Airbus Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM) did not, leading to recommendations for more comprehensive manufacturer documentation.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Missing Criminal Investigation Files
Reference ↗In 2008, it was revealed that the official criminal case files regarding the crash, which had been transferred between prosecutor offices in the late 1990s, were completely missing.